the Counter Mage
by ArthurDragonpen
Summary: As Fairy Tail's battle against Phantom Lord draws to a close, the Abyss Break spell has been unleashed on all of Magnolia. But, before it has the chance to destroy anything, a young boy prevents the catastrophe before it can befall the town. Witness the Fairy Tail story like never before. Set at the end of the Phantom Arc, through the Battle of Fairy Tail, Oracion Seis, and Edolas.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Questions

Power coursed through the air as the circle was completed and at once, Abyss Break began to glow, the staggering power impossible to comprehend. All around the guild, the Fairy Tail members were frozen in shock. Not once in their life had they ever failed on something so important. Was this the end, they cried. A blast of power lit up the afternoon sky and the force of the raw energy surrounding them knocked everyone to the ground.

Cana Alberona, unlike the other members had managed to keep her footing and looked around in dismay at her fallen comrades. Cana was a specialist in Card Magic, which gave her the gift of many different magical abilities such as clairvoyance. _But, right now_, she thought as she glanced at the glowing Magic Circle_, their future was looking too bright for comfort._ She fingered her deck thoughtfully. Could she maybe…

She pulled a card from her deck, staring at it for a split second before coming to terms with reality. No. Strong as she was, there was no way that a simple defense spell would stop something of that force. And even if she used it, it would only protect her and she was unwilling to let her guild mates face this terror alone. Not that they had a whole lot of time left anyway. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement.

"Another Ghoul? Tch, we'll see how far it gets."

She spun, already raising a card to attack with. But when she looked up, she was surprised to see that it was only a young boy. The boy was gangly, with long arms and legs. His skin was peanut butter brown, his hair an unruly black Mohawk and his eyes seemed to glow gold in the light. He ran through the mess of fallen Fairy Tail members, weaving through them as he sprinted towards his goal. And it was then that Cana knew.

She found herself shouting, "No! You're not strong enough to face that thing."

But whether he never heard her or he had but chose to ignore it, the wind snatched the words away and she watched as the spell swallowed the boy whole, adding his power to Abyss Break's strength. Cana collapsed in horror, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited for it all to end. But, even with closed eyes, she could see the eternal light and feel the wind as it gradually… slowed down and eventually died. All too soon, the light faded as well and Cana tentatively opened her eyes to find the most peculiar sight. Abyss Break was gone. In its place was a giant golden sphere that pulsed and radiated magical power. Around its perimeter, a golden shimmer outlined the air like fireworks on a clear night.

"Nnghh!"

Cana's eyes widened when she remembered about the others and rushed to Macao and Wakaba's side. Macao was a middle-aged man who used Purple Fire Magic, which held sticky properties. Next to him was Wakaba, a mage around the same age, who used Smoke Magic. She knelt to help the two up and as one, they turned to face the once deadly Abyss Break in awe.

"What happened?" Wakaba asked. "Were Natsu and the others able to stop it?" He shifted his glance left and right, as if he expected to see Natsu or Gray close by.

Macao regarded the sphere carefully. "No matter what way you look at it, Abyss Break had been cast," he mused, "So that just begs the question, who or _what_ stopped it?"

It was then that Cana remembered the boy who had sprinted past earlier. She scanned the base of the ball and at once, her eyes settled on a figure crouched in front of it. It can't be, can it? Slowly, she made her way to the figure's position. The closer she got, the surer she was that this was the same boy she had seen. And from what she could see, he wasn't even a Fairy Tail wizard.

Could he have been a part of Phantom Lord and decided that there had been enough destruction? Suddenly, the young man coughed, his body trembling. The sphere rippled unsteadily, as if it would crack at the smallest hint of hesitation. Cana watched as the boy breathed deeply. Then, in one fluid movement, he punched upward, causing the ball to streak into the sky like a star returning to the heavens. When it was no more than a speck in the sky, the young man dropped his hand and in the distance, the sky flashed white and the sound of an explosion rang through the air.

THUMP!

The boy had fallen to the ground and lay still. Macao knelt next to the boy and checked his pulse. "It's there, kind of faint. But, he's still alive at least. But… whatever he just did…"

Macao trailed off but the others already knew what he was thinking. Abyss Break was a powerful spell. The fact that this boy had not only nullified the attack but also saved all of Magnolia with just that one move was astonishing to say the least. But, to think that he was still alive after all of that made it even harder to believe. Wakaba looked at the wrecked guild hall. "So, crisis averted. Now what?"

Cana didn't answer. Not only because she didn't know but she could feel the beginnings of dread erupting from inside her. Who was this boy and why did she get the feeling that there were dark days ahead of them?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Emiren

I groaned in pain. "What in the world?"

Blinking open my eyes, I sat up to find myself in an expansive room filled with beds. I had been laying on one of the beds. Moaning a bit, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and took a proper look at myself, not at all surprised by what I found. My clothes in tatters, dozens of bruises and scratches that had been patched up, and my magic still not at full strength. But, that was the story of my life. I flung myself into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences. I probably have more bruises and cuts than all the mages in the world combined.

Still, sitting in bed and allowing himself to heal wasn't really my style. If I didn't get up now, I'd get seriously lazy and that was something I did not need. So, in a careful manner, I made my way to my feet, doing my best to ignore my aching muscles. As I made my way to the door, I could hear talking and laughter on the other end. I frowned. _Where am I?_

Pushing the door open, I was greeted with the sight of a giant hall. There were many large wooden tables occupying the large space. From where I was standing I could see white columns upholding a second floor and to my right, there was a bar that provided food and drinks. At the mention of that, my stomach growled and I realized that I must not have eaten for a while. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Now was not the time. I still needed to figure out where I was.

"Excuse me?"

I whirled around to see a young woman with white hair and crystal blue eyes standing behind me. She wore a long magenta dress with pink frills around the edges. She was smiling happily and her smile seemed to release all the tension in my shoulders. Yes, I was still in pain. But, it felt like I could endure it now.

"Uh… hey," I mumbled rather sheepishly.

She looked me up and down. "Hi, I'm Mirajane Strauss. I'm so glad that you're all right. When Cana brought you in, all bruised and battered, I was so worried. It didn't look like you'd make it through the night. Of course it didn't help that you've been asleep for almost two weeks.

"Whoa… wait, what? Two weeks?" I stared at her completely shell-shocked. The last time I used my magic, it had only knocked me out for a day or two. I hadn't expected to be out for so long.

"Yes, two weeks. To my knowledge, no one was expecting you to wake up," said a new voice.

I whirled around again to see… nothing?

"Then again, no one expected you to survive something of that magical magnitude."

I looked down to see an old man staring up at me intently. The old man was exceptionally short, with black forlorn eyes and he was starting to grow bald with only the outer rims of his head containing white hair. He also had a thick white mustache. He wore a red shirt and blue trousers with a cape wrapped around his shoulders.

At first, I wasn't sure how to respond. It was only until Mirajane had said, "Oh, Master, how did your errand go?" that I realized that this elderly old man was the Master of this guild. I thought about it for a moment. I had come to Magnolia, saw the fighting and the giant Magic Circle and decided to help. So if I can assume that I'm still in Magnolia, then that meant…

"You're the Master of Fairy Tail, Master Makarov!" I blurted out. I didn't know why I was spewing out obvious facts now but Master Makarov didn't seem particularly surprised by my outburst.

"Yes, and you are the young man who saved our guild and all of Magnolia from Abyss Break. But that title is rather long, so why don't you start by telling me your name?"

"Uh… right, right. I'm Emiren Dayon and…" Now, just come out and say the rest. "And I wanna join Fairy Tail."

Makarov raised his brow but remained silent. "Come. We'll discuss this." He walked away, checking over his shoulder to make sure I was following. There was no need. I was convinced that I needed to be here. No matter what happens, I will be a member of Fairy Tail.

"Tell me about yourself," Makarov asked.

Once again, I found myself back in the infirmary. I was all for passing Fairy Tail's entrance exam, but the whole sitting still part was more or less lost on me. I was tapping my fingers, running them through my hair, pacing back and forward, and I was still restless.

"What exactly are you asking?" I hated answering a question with a question but given the circumstances…

Makarov closes his eyes and says, "Like what is your power, why do you want to be a part of Fairy Tail and what does being a mage meant to you?"

I thought about it for a moment. I was going to have to phrase this very carefully. "Well, my name is Emiren. I'm 14 and my magic is known as Counter Magic. It's a type of Lost Magic that allows me to deflect attacks and send them back on the attacker or in any direction I choose."

I noticed Makarov's eyebrows furrow when I mentioned that I knew Lost Magic. I mean, considering how young I was he must have been wondering where I learned such a technique. So, I might as well shoot down that curiosity before he asks me a question I can't answer. "The problem is that I don't remember where I learned it. My memory is hazy. I can remember the last three years perfectly but the first ten years of my life… all of it is just gone."

I raised a hand and placed it in front of my right eye. "And the only thing that I do remember was that the person who took care of me when I was younger was a retired member of Fairy Tail."

I clasped my hands together and stared at them, a bit uncomprehendingly. Makarov stayed silent, watching me closely. Finally, I sighed. "I figured if I followed the trail back to the source, I might be able to figure out who I am. Or I guess remember who he was, if that will help. I know it seems a bit selfish but please let me join your guild."

Makarov had moved from his place on the bed. Meanwhile, I was jittery and perhaps a bit too agonized about it all. Finally, Makarov got to his feet and headed to the door. Automatically, my face fell and I wilted. _That must mean no._

"Tell me, young one: is that all you wish to do? Is that all you want?"

I looked up at him and he solemnly looked back, waiting for my reply. This time, I had to think long and hard about it, but soon I had an answer. "No. I've been alone for a good portion of my life and I guess I don't want to be on my own anymore. I want friends that I can be myself around, comrades I can fight for," my voice had downgraded to a whisper, "a family that I can't lose."

I clenched my fists. "No. A family I won't lose." My eyes grew determined and I held Makarov's gaze. "Because no matter what happens I promise to protect my family. No matter what."

Makarov smiled faintly. "Does that sound like someone who is wholly selfish? You've been through much pain in your fourteen years but you've managed to remain strong, not just because you wish to uncover your past but also because you wish to care for and protect a family."

He opened the door and looked back at me. "If you wish to join Fairy Tail, I won't stop you. All I ask is that you keep to your word and live up to the title of Fairy Tail wizard." Then, he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

After receiving my Fairy Tail guild mark, I was inducted into the guild as a new member. I already knew what members did: went on missions and stuff like that. I had been standing in front of the mission board when I heard a voice address me.

"Looks like you're up and about."

I turned and found myself staring up at a young woman. My eyes bulged at the sight of her. _What in the world? _She had long flowing brown hair, stunning blue eyes, lightly tanned skin. She wore a blue top with the midriff cut off and khaki pants that went down to her knees. Judging from how she looked, I would have pegged her as 19 or 20. But, the thing that caught my eye wasn't her look. It was the barrel of beer she had tucked under her right arm.

She grinned. "So, feeling better?"

I quit staring enough to mutter, "Uh, yeah, I'm doing better. Before it was pretty bad, but now it just feels like I was run over by a dragon. But, like that could happen, right?"

The woman laughed, amused by my joke. "You'd be surprised. As it happens, we do happen to have our own personal dragon in the guild. Of course, he's away right now."

My jaw dropped in astonishment. From what I had heard, all of the dragons had disappeared about seven years. How was it that they happened to have a dragon at their beck and call?

The look on my face must have been hilarious because she laughed again. "I guess if I was being honest, you'd actually call him a Dragon Slayer. I'm pretty sure you've heard of him."

I nodded. In Fiore, there weren't a whole lot of people who hadn't heard of Fairy Tail. Of the people who have heard of them, Natsu "The Salamander" Dragnell was a legend. He was known for wrecking havoc and destroying cities. I'm being completely serious right now. But, I was still in awe. No matter where you go, Dragon Slayers were rare. So far, he was the only one I knew of; well, him and another Dragon Slayer that I kept hearing about in certain conversations around the guild. I was slightly bummed that he had been here earlier and I had missed it.

But, he was coming back and if I had to wait days, months, or years, I would, if only to meet him. Meanwhile, I asked, "So, this might be a little late, but have we met before?"

The woman looked at me, bemused. "Didn't Mirajane tell you? I was the one who brought you in."

The only person Mirajane had mentioned was a woman named Cana. I looked her up and down. "Cana?"

She grinned. "Cana Alberona. Better memorize it now. And you?"

I stuttered. "Uh… Emiren Dayon."

Cana stared at me thoughtfully. Then, it evolved into a look of mischievousness. "Alright, now the best way to get yourself acquainted with the other members is to tell them something unbelievable. Now, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

She began to walk away, hips swinging and the barrel was raised to her lips as she drank. I watched her disappear into the crowd and in that moment, a small seed of doubt trickled into my mind. What exactly was she going to do? And how would it affect me?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: To Confront or Not to Confront

It turns out that what Cana meant by "helping me with my image" just meant telling everyone in Magnolia what I had done and sitting back as they all hunted me down and swarmed me. Most of them were regular townies who wanted to thank me with free food and items or even calling in a favor if ever I needed it, which wasn't all that bad.

But, soon, the mages of the guild were questioning me and my abilities and it was taking all of my patience to tell them the details I knew without screaming at them to go away. But, soon, I met a couple of mages who I didn't mind getting to know. The members of Shadow Gear, for example. Levy, Jet and Droy were a riot on a good day and it was always fun to watch Jet and Droy competing for Levy's attention. Plus, I had also met Elfman Strauss, Mirajane's younger brother, who I realized I was slightly afraid of and Laki, a young woman of maybe sixteen years who liked to make weird statements without giving an explanation as to what she's talking about. All of them were slightly weird but I guess if they weren't, this wouldn't be Fairy Tail.

It had been two days since I had become a Fairy Tail mage and it was still a lot to take in. Most of the time, I found myself tracing the purple guild mark that had been placed on the back of my right hand. It was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. But, I guess that was to be expected. I had just joined one of Fiore's strongest guilds and I was one step closer to regaining those lost memories, which had to count for something. I had to set an example of my own and make sure Fairy Tail stayed on top, just like all the other members did.

Along with me, there were two other new members. A blue-haired Water Mage who referred to herself as Juvia Loxar and a heavily metal-studded guy known as Gajeel Redfox, who happened to be an Iron Dragon Slayer. From what I've heard, both had been previous members of Phantom Lord before it was disbanded. I also knew that while not a lot of people minded that Juvia was here, most of the guild steered clear of Gajeel. I figured he was the one who attacked the guild originally and they were still working on the whole forgiving part. Then again, Gajeel wasn't making it any easier so it was no wonder the entire guild was at odds with him.

"Finally back, my wayward children?"

I turned. Master Makarov and Juvia were greeting four people and a small blue cat by the door. The first one was a lean, muscular young man of average height with a slightly tan skin tone, black eyes, and spiky pink-colored hair. For some obscure reason, he was frowning, his white scarf (silk?) hiding the rest of his expression. He was standing next to a girl with shoulder length blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Behind them, I was able to make out the small blue cat in their midst. But, of course my eyes must have been playing tricks on me because it looked like the cat was flying. Seriously, it had three foot long wings on each side and a small green pack on his back. The next person to speak up was a guy with spiky black hair and dark blue eyes. Finally, I turned my attention to the woman in armor. The woman had long scarlet hair and brown eyes that seemed to notice that I was staring their way. In an attempt to make it seem like I was not just staring at them for no reason, I walked up to introduce myself.

I walked into the conversation right as Master Makarov said, "Then there are our other new members." He looked over his shoulder and saw me making my way towards them. Master Makarov made the introductions and I waved. "Nice to meet you all!"

We began to socialize, starting with who held what magic. Lucy Heartfilia was a wielder of Celestial Spirit magic, which gave her the power to command the Keys of the Zodiac. So far, she had collected a total of six keys, a huge achievement considering how hard golden keys were to find. I wouldn't be too surprised if she one day ended up with all twelve.

Erza Scarlett was more of a legend than even the mighty Salamander himself. An artist of the Re-equip magic, Erza was a beast in human form. Though, when I thought about all the stories I've heard about her, I expected she'd be taller. At least tall enough to topple mountains and slay giant monsters with only her pinkie for protection. I understand that those stories might have only been exaggerations, but compared to the stories I have heard all over the guild, they can't all be false. I turned my attention to the spiky-haired guy in the middle.

Gray Fullbuster was an Ice Make mage. Ice Make magic, I knew, was a Creation magic and as such was completely free-form. As he was explaining the fundamentals behind it, I noticed that somehow, he shrugged off both his jacket and his shirt without even moving. It should have been impossible but I guess you could say I realized that Fairy Tail is full of a lot of impossible people. In a sideway glance, I realized Juvia was staring wide-eyed at Gray's washboard abs in awe while every so often glaring at Lucy muttering the words 'love rival' repeatedly under her breath. The scene was so weird; I had to resist the urge to laugh.

Still, there was one more person I had yet to be properly introduced to and he wasn't talking. Just from the introductions, I realized who I was talking to and can I say… I may have over-romanticized this moment of meeting my hero a bit too much. I had expected that we would get to know each other, become the best team the guild had ever seen and keep Fairy Tail on top. But, in hindsight, I should have already known he would have his own team. I was a trespasser in their world. I'd be quite some time before I was on casual speaking terms with him or any of them for that matter.

My lip quivered when I recognized the fact and I bit down on it to keep anyone from noticing. Just then, Master Makarov cleared his throat and we all turned back to him. "Then, there's our other new member." He looked off towards the tables. "Come, introduce yourself."

At once, we all looked towards the table. The blue cat, who had been introduced as Happy, asked, "Another one?"

Lucy gasped, her calm expression twisting into one of shock. Gray soon followed. Natsu looked he was about to murder someone and it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that Erza would have been happy to help. Noting everyone's reactions, I sighed. So, the rumors are true. Gajeel. And just when I thought things would get easier.

Gajeel glared at the four mages with disdain. His red eyes seemed to radiate a hatred for each of them, but especially Natsu.

Gray got into his fighting stance. "What's this bastard doing here?"

Juvia hurried forward, hoping to appease him. "Wait! Juvia asked him to come along…" She trailed off after regarding the fury in Gray's eyes.

Erza clenched her teeth. "Juvia and Emiren are acceptable, but this guy was the main perpetrator in the destruction of our guild." Gajeel gave her an once-over before deciding she wasn't worth his time and glanced away.

Master looked from one angry face to another. He sighed, his arms crossed. _He can't have really expected that they'd all just forget about this, did he?_

"Now, now, yesterday's enemies are today's friends."

A timid voice spoke up. "Um, I'm not bothered by it at all." Lucy and I turned to see Levy crouched next to one of the tables, as if cowering. I frowned. _That would probably be a little more convincing if you weren't hiding behind a table._ But, I didn't dare voice that thought, especially since Droy and Jet were both giving Gajeel death glares. I recognized that look. They were up to something.

SLAM! The sound of someone's fist against the table snapped me out of my reprieve and I was able to catch the end of Natsu's argument with Gajeel. In the corner, Erza and Master were having a private conversation so I felt it was best if I left it well alone.

Darkness. The lights had gone out, dimming as a single light snapped open, casting a single bright light over the stage. In the center stood Mirajane. I smiled. Why is it whenever we need to salvage a situation, Mira always knew just what to do?

As she began to sing, I got lost in the rhymes and melodies of the song. I thought about everything that had happened so far from countering the Abyss Break spell to now. Was this the right choice for me? I wanted to desperately believe that I would find the answers I needed in time but I should know better than anyone that time stood as both enemy and friend. And I was still figuring out which, out of the two of them, I enjoyed the most.

**"Shoo-Bi-Doo-Bah!"**

Somehow, in the time that I was spaced out, Mirajane had finished her song, Gajeel had started his, and now Natsu and Gajeel were locked in mortal combat. I swallowed. From what the others told me, guild fights were quite common when Natsu or Gray were around. Not to mention the fact that Natsu could pick a fight with just about anyone for any particular reason. I rose and backed away swiftly as the fighting overtook the area where I had just been.

"My… strawberry cake…" I turned to see Erza staring in sorrow over the ruined remains of a strawberry cake.

I'm not too sure what happened after that; Push came to shove and all of a sudden, the guild hall was filled with screams and shouts as nearly everyone joined into the fray. Knowing what my power was capable of, since it never really turned off, I decided to flee the guild. Better they duke it out than me being responsible for destroying the second guildhall. It saves having to explain things. Meanwhile, I might as well enjoy the sights while I wait for things to settle down.

The ability to counter attacks was very helpful in a battle. Not so much in the streets. Already, people were looking my way, sizing me up. I knew why. They didn't know what to think of me. Half of them were perplexed, not seeing anything so great about me, not believing in my abilities. The other half were reassuring them, relaying the story so eagerly, it somehow held an over-the-top flair to it. How anyone could believe the revised version was beyond me. But, it was pretty obvious that I had become another larger-than-life person in the town of Magnolia.

After a quick stroll past the cathedral, I made my way to the park. If I was lucky, I would be able to find a tree to relax under while I figured out my approach. I needed to find some way to fit in with the other mages. They needed to trust me, not because I'm some mage with magic that was lost to the ages, but because I'm willing to fight for them. I want to show them I'm serious. About everything I've said. But how should I go about it?

"What business do you people have with me? I've got work to do."

I stopped in my tracks. That was Gajeel's voice and it was coming from the park. As I made my way there, I began to sweat in dread. I'd only known Gajeel for a day but he seemed like the type you didn't mess with no matter what. His reputation preceded himself and though I didn't hate him like the rest of the guild did, that didn't mean he was easy to get along with. From the tops of the stairs, I was able to get a good understanding of what was happening below.

Raised voices reached my ears and as I overlooked the scene, I caught sight of Droy and Jet shouting at Gajeel, who only smirked at their anger. Glancing over to the big tree in the center, I could make out Levy's form as she cowered behind it, speaking in semi-hushed tones. Droy and Jet refused to drop the topic and their muscles tensed. I knew what was about to happen but I was too slow to stop it. Using his Speed magic, Jet rushed forward, pushing Gajeel back.

Droy threw some seeds to the ground and shouted the words, "Knuckle Plant." At once, green vines rose from the ground sporting rough thorny fists and with complacent timing, attacked Gajeel in force. Jet, whom had been appearing and disappearing for a while now, finally jumped forward and planted a well placed kick to Gajeel's gut, jettisoning him to the ground.

From what I could see, Gajeel was injured, but they were mostly scratches. Nothing to worry myself over. But, it seemed like he wasn't even trying to defend himself, which was odd when I thought about it. Why would he do something like that? Or lack thereof?

"What's all this commotion?"

A voice announced the arrival of someone else. I turned to see an older man standing behind them. The man was ripped from head to toe. He wore a purple long-sleeved shirt, pointed headphones, and a black fur jacket around his shoulders. There was something odd about him. He reminded me of someone. I mean, obviously the scar outlining his right eye, his spiky yellow hair, or his dark eyes didn't help me distinguish who he reminded me of. But, the energy around him… it was similar to something I felt earlier.

As I regarded the scene, I watched as his eyes flicked to me and he held my gaze. I clenched my teeth. When had he noticed I was here? Luckily, he shifted his attention back to Gajeel, giving me enough time to breathe a sigh of relief.

"So this is the bastard that wrecked my guild. That old fart, letting you join after some lame excuse." He stepped forward, his face twisting into a scowl with each passing word. He crossed his arms and looked down at Gajeel in fury. "People don't respect us because of crap like this. Damnit!"

"On my way here, I heard lots of unsettling rumors in various bars." His voice began to get soft like the calm before a storm and I shivered. There was a disturbance in the magical aura of the town. Something big was brewing on the horizon.

A growl emitted from the man and his eyes bulged in anger. "Fairy Tail ain't anything special? Those guys are already through?"

There was a bright flash and I shielded my eyes as I heard Gajeel cry out. An electric discharge went through the air and I watched in dismay as Gajeel was attacked by the man's Lightning Magic. Hold on… Lightning Magic?

"It's your fault!" His face a mask of wrath, the man drove his fist into the ground, the result causing a ring of electric energy to strike Gajeel and carry him into the path of a wayward tree.

_I should help him. Gajeel doesn't deserve this, no matter what he's done. _But, even as I thought that, I couldn't move an inch. It felt like I had been frozen.

Jet seemed to have the same idea as I had because he yelled out, "Stop, Laxus! You're going too far."

Under his breath, Droy added, "I knew that Laxus was crazy strong but," he glanced over to Gajeel's wrecked form, "could it really be this one-sided?"

I gasped. I knew what was going on and I could tell by the faces on each member of Shadow Gear that they had figured it out too. Gajeel was never going to fight them. Before all of this, he had attacked them with his brutish strength. He had been giving them the chance to retaliate, so that they could lie this all to rest here and now. If not as an apology, then as a cease-fire.

Laxus walked up to the battered Gajeel, gazed at him lividly before bringing his steel-toed black boots down on Gajeel's head."I'll teach you what happens to anyone who picks on Fairy Tail!"

I stiffened, my hands clenching and unclenching in a rapid repetition. I shuddered once, twice before forcing myself to place one foot forward. Then another. Soon, I was walking towards the scene. It was slow, but it was progress. Meanwhile, Jet and Droy were trying to talk Laxus down from the brink.

"C'mon Laxus! That's enough!" Jet cried out.

At once, my limbs relaxed and I speed up my pace. I didn't know what, but something big was about to happen. Laxus turned to look back at Team Shadow Gear and, out of the corner of his eye, also noticed me walking up to their confrontation. With a barely disguised look of contempt, he said, "Weaklings should stay out of this." He flourished his hands and two bolts of lightning shot from them.

One of them was heading for Team Shadow Gear, but the other made a beeline to me. I was barely given a second to raise my hand before it connected with my Counter spell. The results were painful. My mouth opened in a silent scream as my body spasmed and withered in pain. As I tried to keep the true force of the lightning at bay, I was pushed off my feet and lay whimpering as I caught my breath. When I was sure I could move my body again, I pulled myself from the ground and regarded area where the other bolt had gone. My eyes widened another fraction as I saw Gajeel, standing in front of Levy as if he were protecting her. Then with a few whispered words, he walked off. Levy called his name, but Gajeel didn't turn back.

Despite the static shock in my system and the stinging burn I received on my left palm, I was more or less fine. Well, I guess you could say I was surprised. I mean, Counter wasn't a spell that could be stopped easily. Heck, even Abyss Break couldn't defeat it and that's a massive spell. I sighed. _Does that mean that Laxus is stronger than that?_ I pondered the thought. It wouldn't be crazy. Fairy Tail has a whole lot of powerful mages. I'd make sense if he had this sort of power. Still, I was weary. Laxus was… a force to be reckoned with and it seemed to me that this wasn't the last move he'd make. Of course I never realized how right I am until it finally happens.

I think I liked overlooking the river the most. Magnolia was a wonderful city, beautiful and festive and well… perfect. I had visited too many places before coming here and this town trumped just about all of them. I felt a slight breeze coming and turned my face so to catch it. Unfortunately, the same power that allowed me to feel things coming was the same power prohibiting me from letting them connect. So, I sighed as the wind blew around me and turned my eyes towards the right edge of the river.

"Miss, that's dangerous!"

My head snapped up and focused on a blonde haired girl who was teetering precariously on the ledge. It seemed like she had lost her balance and I ran to help. But, almost as quickly as she had lost it, she gained it back and I stopped in my tracks as she caught her breath. I would have just walked away but I did a double take as I glanced at her. It was Lucy. Next to her was a white creature that looked very similar to a snowman. It even had a carrot nose. Though I suspected that was real and not an actual vegetable. I supposed I could stop for a talk.

As I walked up, her eyes settled on me and realization dawned in them. I waved slightly. She blinked. "Oh… you're Emiren, aren't you?"

I froze. What had she said? Or not said? She had begun to frown, so I quickly nodded to appease her. "That's good. For a second, I had wondered if I had gotten your name wrong."

"Uh… um," I stuttered. I took a deep breath and tried again. "No, you didn't get it wrong. It is just… so far, you're the only one who hasn't added on the title that seems to fit with the name."

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean that thing about you being the Destroyer of Abyss Break?" She flicked her eyes up to me while she spoke.

I nodded. She laughed a bit. "Well, believe it or not, everyone is still trying to wrap their minds around such a thing." She dropped to her knees to pick up the white creature before resuming to say, "You actually might find this weird but they are just showing their respect. Sooner or later, all of this will die down and you can start working making a name for yourself on your own terms."

I stared at her, mystified. Wise and cute and totally out of my league. Not to mention, she was a good three years older than me. Truly, this Lucy Heartfilia was something else. I smiled. "Thanks for the advice."

She shook her head. "Don't mention it." She gestured to her apartment. "Anyway, I have to get going. See you tomorrow?"

I said yes and watched as she walked into her home. Once she was out of sight, I made my way to the place I was staying at. As I walked, a grin crept across my face. Sure, Fairy Tail was full of strange people but it was good to know there were some sane members mixed in with the crazy.

* * *

**A/N: So, there you go. The first three chapters that lead into the Counter Mage. So far, the first three are just parts of the story that settle Emiren into the plot. But, now things get interesting. Emiren's next challenge will involve lending a hand during the battle of Fairy Tail and you won't believe the amount of trouble he gets himself into. Hopefully, i'll get the next chapter published by next week. So, just bear with me. Writing a fanfiction is harder than i thought.**

**ArthurDragonpen, signing off. Oh, yeah, and P.S: I'm planning on bringing in a couple of new OC's. So if you guys have any ideas, just put them in the reviews.**

**I'll need to know their names, genders, ages, if they are a mage or not, what power they possess, what they look like and how they act, and if you want, what guild hall they belong to. I'll try to keep true to your request. Before submitting an OC, keep in mind that until the current arc is finished, i may or may not add your OC in, depending on which guild they belong to. So, yeah, i guess that's everything. Peace!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Battle Begins

Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail. Unfortunately, I'm not that awesome.

* * *

"Magnolia Harvest Festival?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's that?"

On my way into town, I had run into Mirajane and Master Makarov and offered to carry any supplies they needed. On the way back to the guild hall, talk of the festival increased and soon I decided that I didn't like being in the dark.

Mirajane looked to me kindly. "The Harvest Festival is a day where every resident of Magnolia takes a day off to relax and enjoy themselves. On this day, every year, we take the time to have fun and show our town why it is so great. Not mention apologizing for all the trouble we cause." She shifted the bag so that her sight wouldn't be obscured.

"Hmm." I grinned. Sounded cool enough. Master Makarov, who had stayed silent through the explanation, suddenly spoke up. "The whole city is focused on the Harvest Festival."

Mirajane nodded. "Makes sense. Everyone said that they are busy preparing for the Fantasia Parade."

_Fantasia Parade?_ I decided to let that thought go unvoiced. I'd ask about it later.

Makarov smiled. "Yes, since this is Fairy Tail's grand parade, it's the pride of the entire continent."

We walked in silence for a couple of more seconds before Mirajane said cheerfully, "It'd be nice if Laxus were to participate."

_Laxus?_ I thought back to the other day when I had met that man. He had mercilessly attacked Gajeel, sent a bolt of lightning at both Levy and I, and somehow incinerated my Counter spell with just that measly attack. And Mirajane wanted him to participate? As far as first impressions go, he'd be the last person I'd want to cooperate with. Not with his back-stabbing anger.

"Enough about him." Master Makarov said quietly. I was shocked. The expression on his face was unyielding and his tone was gruff. Obviously, Laxus was a sore point for him just as much as he was for me. Perhaps even more. They were related by blood, after all.

"He's returned to town, you know," I said nonchalantly. Mira looked over at me. "Yes, Levy told me she saw him just the other day."

"He's what?" Maser Makarov stopped in his tracks, becoming uncharacteristically quiet. The look in his eye was translucent, as if he weren't all the way here. _He's probably remembering something. You should know. That's the same look you get in your eye when you fail at remembering your past_, I thought to myself.

Mirajane frowned down at the little man. "Master…" Her voice trailed off. For a moment, we stood there, respecting the Master's space. It wasn't long before he snapped himself out of whatever dream he'd been caught in before we resumed our walk to the guild. To take my mind off things, I decided to focus my efforts on the Fantasia Parade. First things first, figuring out what it is…

* * *

Even after the days he had spent recuperating after eating a substance other than fire, Natsu still looked like crap. His eyes were hollow, vacant, as if his mind was elsewhere. He walked with a stumbling step, his footing heavy and unreliable. I had already kept him from face-planting the pavement at least five times and I was getting pretty tired. He weighed a ton.

Now, he was walking around with Happy, deciding what he wanted to eat. His idiotic expression hadn't changed, but at least he wasn't tripping all over the place. Still, Lucy worried. "He still doesn't seem well."

Gray and Juvia nodded. Obviously, they all felt a bit of empathy for Natsu's situation; even they didn't share his symptoms. Juvia regarded Natsu with a clear gaze. "Is he okay?"

Gray shook his head. "Just leave him be…"

Despite having gotten annoyed by his fainting all the time, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to leave him alone. Helping him recover from an injury might be the closest I ever get to the guy.

"You never change, do you?" Someone addressed us from behind.

We turned to see a young man in a red-orange shirt. He was slightly tanned, with full lips, a slightly large nose, and dark eyes. On his shoulder, he carried a rucksack.

Gray eyes had widened in recognition. "Warren! How long has it been?"

Warren grinned. "Not sure. But, I made it back for the Harvest Festival, somehow."

Gray looked at him incredulously. "You take on way too many jobs at once, man."

Juvia decided to introduce herself. "I'm one of the new recruits, Juvia." She turned to me. "And this is Emiren."

Warren nodded in approval. "Yes, I've heard of the both of you."

Gray gestured to Warren. "Warren Rocko. He specializes in Telepathy Magic."

Warren said, "Nice to meet you."

Juvia responded with, "And you as well. But still…" She turned her attention to the festivities. "What a lot of people!"

Gray and Warren took in the sight. Warren replied, "People have come from all over to see the Fantasia."

Lucy, ecstatic as a child, said, "I want to see it too!"

I frowned. "What? I thought we were participating in it?"

Lucy thought about it for a moment before she realized something. "Oh yeah, that reminds me… The Miss Fairy Tail Contest is starting!" She ran away, shouting, "My rent!" at the top of her lungs. Meanwhile, Juvia was boiling in anger saying something along the lines of also deciding to participate.

After a moment of watching their retreating forms, I turned and headed towards the park.

"Huh? Emiren, you're not coming?" Gray said from over his shoulder.

I thought about my answer carefully. "I would but I'm not that much of a crowds fan. I think I'll just relax in the park while I'm waiting for the contest to end."

Gray studied me. Finally, he shrugged. "Alright, see you later." He walked off towards the guild hall, leaving me alone in the street. I sighed and made my way to the park. On the way there, I had accidentally bumped shoulders with a man who happened to drop his sword. I gasped and picked up the sword.

"Um… sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Here." I held out the sword so he could take it. He observed me quietly and I did the same with him. The man was slim and of average height with waist length light green hair. He wore a knee-high double breasted coat, red in color with pink cuffs. Finally, after a moment of staring, which left me feeling thoroughly observed, he took his saber from my outstretched hand, sheathed it, and without a word, walked away.

I frowned. "You're welcome." I huffed and resumed my leisurely stroll to the park.

* * *

**_Whirr! Whirr!_** A slight noise had woken me from my slumber. It was almost a musical tone, light and airy. Tentatively, I slit one eye open. Nothing. There was no one near me and nothing around me that could have made that noise. Which just begged the question…

**Boom! **An explosion caught my eye and I jumped to my feet. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I mumbled, "What in Earthland was that?"

I scratched my head and yawned before rushing to the scene. If it was a fight or even worse, another invasion, my guild mates would need my help. My footfalls echoing on the concrete, I raced to the town square where I had seen the explosion. What I found shocked even me. Fairy Tail members were laying face-down on the ground. Some were burned, while others looked bruised and battered. The rest were huddled in a corner, as if someone wanted to cover up what they had just done. I walked up to one of them and turned him over. He was bleeding all the way down his front and I squirmed from the sight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move and I whirled to find… nothing. I sighed and rubbed my eyes again. "I must still be pretty tired."

**_Whirr! Whirr! _**A familiar noise sounded just above my head and I looked up just in time to see purple runes. I regarded them expectantly.

Current Status Report: Jet vs. Droy vs. Alzack

I frowned. I didn't get it. Why would members of the same guild fight each other? That doesn't make sense. Before I was given more time to countenance the thought, new purple runes replaced the ones over me, spelling out another message.

Winner: Alzack

Jet and Droy: Out of Action

Another status report came up, this time mentioning all of the people bruised in front of me. The winner had been someone with the power of invisibility. So far I hadn't met anyone like that. I gasped softly and slowly rose to my feet. I stood still, listening carefully. _There!_

My instincts took over and I step sided to the left. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a presence, like the outline of a body. The figure came at me again and I just reacted.

Thrusting my hands out to block the attack, I shouted, "Counter!" and watched while the person connected with the shield. He was thrown backwards into the rune wall and lay still. With his invisibility gone, I was able to get a better look at him. But, I stepped back in surprise. I shouldn't have been surprised but I guess I wasn't one to trust runes that just appear out of nowhere over my own eyes. But, there was no doubting this. The man was a Fairy Tail wizard.

And he had attacked me for no reason. I furrowed my brow, trying to figure this out. Why would my guild mates turn on each other? What would force them to do that? I growled. I was getting nowhere with this. If I wanted answers, I needed to go to the source.

* * *

Whatever was going on was starting to get out of hand. Running past two men dining at an outdoor restaurant, I overheard their conversation. Halting and walking off to the side so that it didn't look like I was eavesdropping, I started eavesdropping to get the scope.

"… Fighting amongst each other," said the burly man sitting down.

The waitress serving tea came into the conversation. "It's not just quarrelling; they are seriously going at each other."

The burly man frowned. "I hope that the Fantasia Parade will be alright."

They conversed some more and I was about to get moving again when…

**Crash! **The diner exploded outward, its guests thrown to the far side of the street. _Oh no…_

Something had flown upward from the wreckage, settling itself on the roof. Visitar, the Dancing Mage looked down at the stunned civilians.

He looked to his left and I followed his gaze to see Nab. Nab was nice enough. He spent his days in front of the guild's notice board, indecisively staring at all of the job requests but never really picking one. If anything, I'd label him as "Procrastination Personified". At least I would if he hadn't just beaten Visitar.

A yell caught my attention and I ran into another fight just around the corner. Max, the sand mage, and Warren were going at it. "This is insane," I whispered under my breath.

I sprinted through the streets, doing my best to avoid the fights. Sometimes, I would have no choice but to fight, if only to defend myself. The "rules" were pretty clear but my conscious couldn't take much more of this.

It took another fifteen minutes of weaving through the crowds, fights, and decorated streets. But, I finally made it. The guild hall stood tall in front of me and I made my way to it.

In front of me I could see the figure of a certain Lightning mage whose power knew my left palm well. I was still getting used to that scar. Natsu, in a fit of rage, curled his fist and jumped Laxus's way, determined to knock some sense into him. But, instead, Natsu's face connected to a pillar as Laxus had just disappeared. I blinked twice, wondering if my eyes were playing trick once again. But, I didn't have time to dwell. I needed an explanation.

So when I stepped foot in the middle of the doors, I asked, "Okay, what is going on here? Why are people attacking me in the streets? And how did Laxus just disappear in thin air? Are we like in some alternate universe or something?"

Master Makarov turned to look at me in surprise. Happy was busy getting Natsu up. I sighed in weariness and decided to sit at one of the tables while I waited for them to compose themselves. Using my power was always a bit tiring. My gaze started to drift. I took in the empty hall, looked towards the bar and frowned at the vacancy. Mirajane would usually be behind it, serving drinks. Or at least up on the stage, getting ready to sing one of her songs. On a whim, I looked to the stage. My eyes widened in alarm.

There on the stage were statues. That shouldn't have frightened me and I knew that. I studied them, one by one. Bisca, Levy, Juvia, Cana, Erza, Mirajane, and Lucy. The likeness between the statues and their real-life forms was uncanny, to say the least. But, something inside me was telling me that what I was thinking was the deal wasn't really the case. And suddenly, I knew. I knew how they could make the whole entire guild spring into action. They'd do anything if it meant saving one of their own. Which had to mean…

I gave the statues another penetrating gaze. "Laxus has taken them prisoner. Hasn't he?"

The master looked at me, his stony glare falling to the floor as he nodded slightly. "I cannot entrust Fairy Tail to Laxus. He doesn't have what it takes to lead the rest. He lacks conviction and a caring heart."

I froze. "Hold on. Laxus wants to be Master and lead Fairy Tail? Anyone get the feeling that would just make things ten thousand times worse?"

Natsu and the master didn't answer but I could tell they were thinking about it. Happy looked at the petrified forms of the girls, "But at this rate, Lucy and the others will turn to dust. Someone has to stop Laxus and his gang, or…" He never finished the thought.

A rustling could be heard from behind the counter of the bar. Cautiously, I walked towards it. I had barely gotten two feet when a very familiar head pulled himself into my line of sight.

Natsu's eyes flared at Gajeel's unexpected appearance. "Gajeel, you were here all along?"

At the same time, Happy cried, "Don't eat the dishware!"

Makarov gave the two of them a look which translated to 'be silent'. Couldn't really blame him. The dishware was the last thing on my mind too. He stepped forward. "Are you going to go?"

Gajeel hopped over the counter and headed for the door. "I've still got a score to settle with the bastard. Just leave him to me."

I smiled, despite myself. Maybe Gajeel had a chance at this. But, he might need help. And as it were, there was a certain pink-haired Fire Dragon Slayer who could help him. I was about to ask why he hadn't joined the battle when Gajeel collided with… the air?

Master Makarov, Natsu, and Happy stared in dismay as he tried to get through the wall in front of him. But wherever his fists pressed, dark red runes impeded his escape. My smile faded and I cursed under my breath. _Oh, Hope, you've screwed me over again._

A thought came to me. "Does that barrier stop Dragon Slayers from participating?"

Master Makarov was deep in thought. But Natsu was deciding to be Natsu. "Are you also older than 80?" he demanded.

Gajeel retorted back with, "The hell I am!" and the two began to quarrel again. Meanwhile, I turned to Master Makarov, my expression saying it all.

He grimly looked at the barrier. "According to the rules, no one over the age of 80 or stone statues are allowed to exit the guild hall. So far, we don't know why Natsu hasn't been able to get free. I expected it to be a fluke on Freed's behalf. But, with the added exception of Gajeel," he growled, "no doubt Laxus has something else planned for the two of them. Now to figure out what it is…"

I looked to the invisible barrier. Was there another way past them? What about my power? If I used Counter on the runes, was there a possibility of making an opening? I made my way to the place where they said the wall was. Makarov's words echoed behind me. "Emiren, if you are like the other contestants, you would just pass right through the barrier. In short, it might not affect you at all."

I took a deep breath and slowly steered my hand forward. If I was staying realistic, I knew that Makarov was probably right but I needed to see if it was true. What I saw, though, didn't make sense. My hand was placed against a smooth see-through surface. Where my fingers touched the barrier, red runes rose up, blocking me from exiting. Makarov's eyes looked at me in a new light and I could tell he was far more than surprised. I was surprised too. With Natsu and Gajeel, there was the fact that they were both Dragon Slayers. But me? I had no connection to them.

My heart slowed to a crawl and after a moment's hesitation, I checked to see if it was still beating. _Does it have something to do with… that?_ I took a sharp intake of breath, mostly to clear my mind before I asked myself the obvious question. What was _that_? I knew that I had just remembered something from my past and it had something to do with what was happening now. But, for the life of me, I had no clue as to what it was.

**_Whirr! Whirr! _**Status reports began to appear on the rune wall in a hurry.

Evergreen vs. at least twelve members. Winner: Evergreen

Bickslow vs. twice as many as Evergreen. Winner: Bickslow

I stared in horror. Who were these people? Could they really be that strong?

A new status report had come up. Freed vs. Alzack. We waited maybe ten seconds before a verdict was placed.

Winner: Freed

And as the status reports came to a close, runes saying "Members left" stood in purple above our heads. The number underneath read three.

Makarov was shocked. "Only three are left?"

Behind him, Natsu and Gajeel's fighting had gotten worse and I would have told them to shut up, if the circumstances weren't so dire. But, with the number flashing above our heads and the look of realization on the master's face, I wasn't really in the mood.

Master Makarov looked at the _three _of us. "Three?"

Natsu and Gajeel stopped their fighting long enough to think about it. I, however, already knew what that meant. "We're the only three left?" I cried. Happy stared at us balefully. "I wasn't even counted?"

I raised my eyebrow at the cat. "You want to be counted in this battle?"

Makarov thought it through intently. "I have no more mages left to fight." With reluctance, he added, "This is it…"

Natsu crossed his arms and sighed. "Oh well, guess I'd better go and revive Erza."

Happy and the master shouted in unison, "What?"

But, Natsu had moved on without acknowledging their surprise. "And I thought this was the chance for me to finally outshine her."

Of course I was still hung up on his first phrase. "Revive Erza?" I repeated. I gave him a skeptical gaze. "You mean you can actually _do_ that?"

Makarov seemed to be thinking the same thing: that this was the first time he'd heard of such a thing as well. "Emiren makes a fair point. What do you plan on doing?"

Natsu looked back over his shoulder. "Huh? Won't it melt if I heat her? You know, the stone shell…"

Makarov shouted, "Don't!" with Happy adding, "Erza and the others have been petrified to the core."

I would've voiced my disapproval as well (not that it would have made much of a difference) but I realized something. My power had no control over the runes but was it possible I could counter Erza's petrification? And if I could, didn't that mean I could do the same with the others?

"Are you going to rub her with your hands?"

I tuned back into the conversation in time to see Natsu kneeling over Erza's frozen form. Makarov was yelling at him but Natsu was oblivious to him. Him and his idiotic smile. Gajeel observed him steadily. "I never took you for being such a big perv…"

**Crack! **The right side of Erza's face had cracked, and I was beyond scared. If only I'd voiced my idea. Already, Natsu was praying to someone, asking for forgiveness. Gajeel was cursing at Natsu for being so stupid and Master Makarov's eyes bulged as he watched the crack stretch out, covering Erza's entire body.

It fell apart, all of it. The stone shell came loose, crumbling to dust, depositing a stunned Erza in her Lolita outfit.

I sighed in relief and perhaps a little awe too. So, Natsu was able to revive Erza. Impressed, I looked down at Erza, who was still trying to take stock of the situation. Slowly, as if she were choosing her words carefully, she whispered, "So… hot."

Her face crumpled into an angry look and she regarded Natsu darkly. "Natsu…"

Before I knew what had happened, Natsu was punched to the other end of the room. Erza glanced at him and huffed. "What were you trying to do?"

Master looked at Erza with relief. "Thank goodness. But how?"

Erza thought about it, slightly perplexed. "I don't really know. But, perhaps, it's because of my right eye…"

I didn't think too much of that sentence but it seemed to hold some importance for both Natsu and the master, for he nodded as if that made sense.

Happy had flown into the conversation. "Erza, do you know what's going on?"

Erza nodded in conformation. "Even though I was petrified, I could still hear your voices.

Makarov seemed to grow with newfound hope. "Go! It's time to strike back!"

Overhead, the purple rune for three had been replaced with the rune for four.

Erza seemed to understand at once. "With me restored, the number of combatants changed appropriately. How clever," she mused.

Happy asked, "Those four are Natsu, Gajeel, Erza, and Emiren, right?"

Again, the runes changed shape, this time displaying the number 5.

I was shocked. "5 remaining?"

Gajeel looked slightly interested. "It increased?"

Natsu asked, "Who?" and turned. We all followed his lead. But, the statues were unmoving.

Makarov's eyebrows furrowed. "Everyone is still petrified. Then, who?"

For the first time since this ordeal began, Erza smirked. "There's one more of us out there, remember? Outside the city?"

Natsu spoke up. "You don't mean… Him?"

Erza nodded, her smirk widening. "Looks like the real battle is about to begin. This is getting interesting."

Gajeel and I were at a loss as to who they could possibly be talking about. So I asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"Another man worthy of being called Fairy Tail's strongest… Mystogan!"

* * *

Far away, in the Magnolia Cathedral…

Laxus stood, staring up at the new runes waiting to be read. "Erza is restored and Mystogan has joined the fight… Including me, that's the top three in Fairy Tail," he observed. He grinned with malice. "It can't be a festival without the best, right?"

* * *

**A/N: This will not be the last time that I switch to another's perspective but for most of the story, it will be through Emiren's eyes. For now, we skip to Erza.**

**Erza**

As I raced along the city streets, I was greeted by some civilians.

"Erza, what's up with the outfit?"

The man to his right said, "Anyway, a bunch of people from your place have been fighting around the city and have caused some real damage."

I can't drag the civilians into our problems. So feigning a smile, I replied, "I apologize. It's part of preparations for the grand parade."

They looked at each other. "That's some strange preparations you got there." They were still slightly confused but at least they seemed to buy it.

"Please looked forward to it," I suggested politely.

"Of course!"

"Try not to fight so much, 'kay?"

I continued racing through town. I needed to defeat the Thunder Tribe. Namely one in particular. _Stop her and I free all of the others._

I skidded to a halt and looked all over. In the sky, I saw something golden shine. In less time than it takes to tell, I jumped backwards, making use of a couple of evasive maneuvers that I had picked up over the years.

"How did you return from being petrified?" A sickly sweet voice came down from the top of the building in front of me.

The woman just looked me over before saying, "Well, fine by me. It just means I get to have fun tormenting you more."

"Evergreen," I calmly replied, acknowledging her as my target.

Evergreen's gaze darkened considerably the more she talked. "You really make me angry. Why are you the Fairy Queen, Titania?"

She raised her fan and snapped it open. "I am the number one fairy!"

I couldn't care less about her squabbles. The only thing that I could think of was this:

_The battle to free my friends has begun._

* * *

**A/N: And so ends another chapter. Because the arc would be short if i left them out, I will be including the fights between the Thunder Tribe and Laxus. Emiren's role in the story is small for now but rest assured, the further he gets into the arcs, the more important his powers will become. As for the OC message i had in the last Chapter, I am still accepting them and will be for the two weeks or so, depending. If you want your OC's to appear in the next story arc, I'd focus on putting them into Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter so that it makes it easier for me to write them into the story. So, anyway, ArthurDragonpen signing out.**


	5. Author's Note: Very Important

**Unfortunately, this is not the next chapter but instead an interlude of sorts.**

**Author's Note: Important Must Read**

**So far, I haven't gotten many reviews. Not so infuriating really. I am still a new writer and I only update when I have time. But even still some people found my story and reviewed, favorite, and followed it and it makes me really happy.**

**I've got a special shout-out to ****Jp3711nc1****, for presenting me with my first OC for the Counter Mage. Due to his help, I have started to create a story that revolves around his mage. It will sort of be like a filler episode that happens in between the arcs. Of course Emiren will be slightly involved with it as well. Just so we are clear, ****Jp3711nc1****, I do intend to use your OC in the Oracion Seis arc as Hibiki's apprentice but there is a story I need to tell that will progress both the characters and the plot before I work on that arc. So, please, just bear with me.**

**And for all the other readers out there, by the next two chapters, I plan for the battle of Fairy Tail to come to a close. After that, then I will work on the filler featuring Abilaster, the new mage from Blue Pegasus. He will be the mage from Blue Pegasus who appears in the next arc. So, if you want your OC appearing in the next arc, I'd place him/her in either Cait Shelter or Lamia Scale. Once I begin working on the Oracion Seis arc, you will have missed your chance to add in your own OC. I'll only be choosing from the people who review the fastest. So, please review and enjoy!**

**P.S: I will also be adding in an OC of my own. Her name will be Persephone. And she will be a prominent figure in the story as well as Emiren's future. What will her power be? Wouldn't you like to know?**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Thunder Palace**

**Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail**

Evergreen smirked as she flew away. But, Erza wasn't done yet. With a great leap, she re-equipped two swords and then proceeded to rip the Fairy mage to shreds. Evergreen, noting the attack, dodged to the right and watched in satisfaction as the water tower was cut in two. She landed on a building overlooking the damage before turning to Erza. "You _are_ good, Erza…" she said in grudging respect.

Erza nodded. "I never thought you would challenge me." Breaking out into a run, she said, "But, if I defeat you, then everyone will return to normal!"

Evergreen remained ever smug. "I wonder if you can?" Then with that, she ripped off her glasses, exposing her Glass Eyes spell.

Erza quickly closed her left eye. "That won't work!" she said, slashing at Evergreen, who evaded by utilizing a double back flip

Evergreen looked quite psyched by the turn of battle. "I see… I didn't know you had an artificial eye." She smiled evilly. "In that case… Fairy Gun: Leprechaun!"

All around her golden pinpricks of light were unleashed, sending a shower of bright lit needles Erza's way. Erza jumped to the side, shifting left and right as she tried to pinpoint a way around the attack. When she found a narrow passageway, she began slashing at the needles, forcing her way through the spell. Five feet from her target, Erza surged forward and with both swords, slashed at Evergreen.

Like before, Evergreen dodged, flying off. For a while, the two played a game of cat and mouse. Evergreen flying away with Fairy Gun in hand and Erza twisting, spinning, slashing, kicking, and running but slowly and steadily closing the distance. Evergreen looked back at her pursuer. "So you really can defend against this many needles? Impressive. But do you think you can handle twice as many?" And before Erza could stop it, Evergreen set off another round of Fairy Gun, this one at 200%.

Erza did her best as the golden rain pummeled her but in the end, it made its way through, cutting through pieces of her outfit. Evergreen looked on with barely suppressed glee. She laughed out loud. "For today henceforth, _I_ will be known as Titania. For I am the true Fairy Queen!"

Erza sighed then with a deep breath, jumped towards the Fairy mage, re-equipping along the way. Soon, she made her way to Evergreen, using both hands and feet to fight off the Fairy Gun.

Evergreen gasped. "You've gotta be joking!"

Throwing the two swords she held in her toes, Erza watched as they connected with their target, impaling Evergreen's sleeves to a brick tower. She touched down and looked calmly at Evergreen. "Even someone like you is still a fellow Fairy Tail member. If you want to call yourself Titania, then feel free." As an afterthought, she said, "I don't even know who gave me that nickname in the first place anyway."

Evergreen glared at her in jealousy. Erza firmly glared back. "If you cease this foolishness and return everyone to normal, I will not harm you."

Evergreen face crumpled into a smile of… smugness? Fixing Erza with a superior gaze, she scoffed. "Aren't you being a little naïve here? My Stone Eyes have another power." When Erza sighed and began to make her way to the other woman, Evergreen said two words that stopped Erza in her tracks. "Remote control."

With the stage set, Evergreen declared, "Now bow down before me! If you don't, I will turn those stone women into piles of rubble from here." Her eyes took on the manic form of someone who's already won.

Erza froze before coming to a decision. She re-equipped, discarding her Lolita outfit for a more appropriate dress. When the light faded, Evergreen's face went from victory to astonishment. There Erza stood in her Knight armor, with twenty plus swords pointed at the Fairy mage.

"Oh? So you value victory over your own life? That's very admirable of you." Erza's stare grew cold. "I shall take your life to put to rest the souls who were turned to dust."

Evergreen shuddered as she tried to keep her resolve but in the end, screamed.

**Slam!**

The sound of Erza's fist connecting with Evergreen's face had cut off her shrill cry. Erza had adopted a bored look. "Now, that is how you bluff."

Evergreen struggled once before mumbling, "I surrender."

* * *

**3 minutes earlier, back at the Fairy Tail Guild…**

I looked around the room. Natsu was banging his head against the barrier, which was locking the four of us in. Apparently, he figured if he could find something harder than an _invisible_ barrier, we could break free and join the fight. Gajeel, meanwhile, was watching him make even more of a fool of himself. Master Makarov was sitting on the table in silence as he waited for news in the Erza vs. Evergreen fight. And me… well, I was testing my abilities. Walking up to Levy, I placed my hands on her shoulders and concentrated as I tried to force my Counter Magic to work, just as I had with the others. But, the magic inside wouldn't yield to my control and in the end, I simply gave up.

Happy wondered over. "What were you trying to do just now?"

"Oh, uh…" I looked at the statues. "Well, since my power wasn't working with the barrier, I figured I'd try my luck on something... easier. I figured I could counter Evergreen's spell and maybe free the others without too much work. But, just like the barrier… the spell is absolute. To defeat it, Evergreen has to be stopped."

We both glanced at Lucy's petrified form before jumping back in shock. At once, she unfroze, followed by Mirajane, Cana, Juvia, Levy and Bisca. Juvia looked around. "What happened to Juvia?"

Master Makarov and I smiled while Natsu said, "They're back to normal."

**_Whirr! Whirr!_**

The familiar noise caught our attention and we looked at the runes. Quickly, I read the results, "Erza vs. Evergreen. Winner: Erza."

Makarov was relieved. "Excellent work! The hostages have been freed!" He raised a fist in success. "Now, what will you do, Laxus?"

* * *

**In the Magnolia Cathedral**

"WORTHLESS TRASH!"

Laxus took his fist and slammed into the side of the nearest column. "How could Ever lose to the likes of Erza? Since when did you get so weak, Ever?" he shouted in rage. This should not be happening. It can't be happening. His plan had been so perfect. He had set the stage, backed them into a corner, picked off the weakest, and placed them in a no-win situation. How had they managed to escape by the skin of their teeth?

"Erza is too strong." Freed's voice rose up as he walked up to his leader. "This was a job for Bickslow or myself."

Laxus lowered his fist. "Why have you returned, Freed?"

"Because the game is over," Freed stated matter-of-factly. "With the hostages freed, the Master will no longer budge."

Laxus whirled around and released a tendril of electric power that flew past Freed and collided with the nearest wall. "It's not over. If you won't follow me, then get lost. You aren't needed in my Fairy Tail."

* * *

**Back at the Guild**

**Emiren**

"The Battle of Fairy Tail?" Lucy repeated back to us after my long explanation.

"Laxus did what?" Cana held her head on her hands and was now staring at us with rapt attention, her beer bottle eerily untouched. That sent a shiver down my spine. If Cana wasn't drinking, then things were more serious than ever.

The master looked adamant when he said, "It's over now. With you all returned to normal, there's no way I'm going to play Laxus's silly games anymore."

Mirajane frowned. "But what about everyone that was injured from Freed's traps?"

"That's right!" Bisca exclaimed. "If we don't teach Laxus a lesson, he'll never learn."

"And don't I know it!" Master Makarov said. "I'll give him a punishment he'll never forget. Damn you, Laxus… you're not going to get away with it this time."

"Wait a second!" We all jumped as Natsu spoke up. And then he uttered the dumbest words I'd heard him say in a while. "I have to agree with Laxus about deciding who the strongest in Fairy Tail is thing. So don't be too hard on the guy, Gramps."

And then as if things had gotten worse, he decided to say this: "So, anyway the second Battle of Fairy Tail starts now! Bring it on everyone!"

While Natsu made stupid remarks about how he wanted to fight everyone in the guild hall, I stewed over the idea for a moment and it made perfect sense (Not Natsu's idea but the stuff before it. Natsu's idea was borderline crazy). We take down Laxus and the Battle of Fairy Tail is over. Sure, if we thought about it logically, we'd have to get through Freed and Bickslow first. Plus…

I sighed. "I'm all for teaching Laxus a lesson. But…" Everyone turned to me.

"But?" Cana repeated.

I nodded once. "But Mirajane is right. What about the rest of our guild mates? Not only do we have to make sure they are okay but we also have to make sure they stop fighting. It's times like this where the guild needs to stand together."

The others had nodded assent. Except for Natsu who had started chasing Lucy around, determined to get her to fight him. I watched in slight amusement. Can't believe this is the same guy I hero-worshipped for three whole years. If I had known how much of a scatterbrain he could be, I seriously would have considered my options better.

I walked over to Juvia and Gajeel, who were having their own conversation. "What's the matter, Gajeel?"

Gajeel looked to me. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Juvia looked back at our remaining members. "The guild sure is fun, isn't it?"

Gajeel and I looked at her. "Maybe but it's got a screw loose," we said in unison. We probably would have expanded on that moment but then something bizarre happened. Then again, everything was bizarre here…

The rune barrier had gone red and the runes had started to drift out into the air, forming some type of image in the middle of the room. Once they stopped moving, I looked at the object and shook in fear. The runes had shaped themselves into the image of a giant red skull. Maybe it was because the battle was not yet over or maybe because I was a complete coward. But I think it was because my power felt something was close by. Something dangerous. Then from the skull mouth, words could be heard.

"Can you hear me, old man?"

Makarov looked bewildered. The voice washed over us again. "Same goes for the rest of you. It seems one of the rules is gone. So, it seems fitting to give a new rule in the place of the old one."

He paused but then continued on. "For the Battle of Fairy Tail to continue, I have activated the Thunder Palace."

Everyone looked around confused. But Master Makarov and I stood in horror. "Thunder Palace?" he uttered, his eyes looking as if they would pop out of his head.

At least the Master knew what it was. I had only responded to it because my power was going crazy due to those two words alone. This had to be what I had felt earlier. That terrible sense of dread and the feeling that danger was soon to rear its ugly head again.

The skull began to speak once again. "You have one hour and ten minutes left. So, do you think you can defeat me? Or will you retire, Master?" The skull burst into runes and all that was left was the sound of Laxus's laughter echoing through the halls.

Master Makarov exploded with rage. "What the hell are you thinking, Laxus? You plan on getting innocent people involved in this? **Gchhk**!"

Suddenly, the Master pitched forward, clutching at his chest. At once, we watched as he fell to the floor, unconscious. I lifted him up and placed him on his back. "What's wrong with him?"

Bisca told Mirajane to get his medicine and she hurried away. I looked on in shock. For a second, things had been looking up. And now…

As Mirajane came back with the medicine, she called out to us. "Everyone, look outside."

We all scrambled for the balcony and stood staring. Above us, there were see-through spheres filled with yellow Lacrima. They were suspended high above Magnolia in a circular formation that surrounded the town.

"Thunderbolt Lacrima…" I said in disbelief.

Lucy turned to Natsu. "They're floating above the city."

Cana gaze became more serious with every word. "Each of those Lacrima stores a great deal of magical thunder energy. So, this Thunder Palace is probably…"

Juvia finished her thoughts for her. "Exactly what it sounds like."

"And so, Magnolia has become the real target." I said.

Lucy pointed up to the Palace. "Hold on, so what happens if those things discharge?"

My face was grim. "Coming from someone who can feel their power from here, I'd say something particularly harrowing."

Cana nodded. "You'd be right. Countless thunderbolts will rain down on the city"

We all paused as we imagined that. But then…

"I won't let that happen!" Bisca shouted, "Sniper Rifle Re-Equip!"

Dropping to a knee, she locked on to one of the floating Lacrima. I watched as she shouted the words "Stinger Shoot" and a bright neon green ray of light destroyed the Lacrima. But right at the moment of its destruction, my power reacted slightly. It felt as though there was something else influencing it and not just the thunder energy. The others, however, didn't seem to feel the same thing and were congratulating Bisca on her straight shooting. But, I was convinced. Laxus wouldn't put these things in the sky without some form of defense.

Bisca smiled. "I'll get 'em all like this!"

**Crack!** Static circled her form before proceeding to shock her. She screamed in pain and everyone looked on as she writhing in agony. Of course I wasn't going to allow that. "Move!" I shouted as I pushed past Natsu and Lucy. Placing my hands in front of me, I focused on the power and used my other power. "Contain!"

The lightning shifted, crackling with power before retreating from Bisca in waves of electric energy. The magical energy traveled until it reached my palms, solidifying into a yellow Lacrima the size of my palm. With the lightning no longer surrounding her, Bisca fell to the ground.

"Get her to the hospital wing! I took away most of the power but it still affected her." I said.

As Gajeel took her to the medical wing, we all stared in fear at the Lacrima in my palm. "Just so we're all on the same page, what was that?" I asked, still a bit confused.

Cana glanced at me before gazing at the Lacrima in the sky. "Body Link Magic. The Lacrima are under a spell that links the damage back to the one who destroys them, inflicting equal damage to what it received."

She fixed me with a surprised look. "By the way, how did you do that?"

I closed my fist over the Lacrima and placed in my pocket. "It's another one of my powers. Contain. Using it allows me to take whatever power that comes my way and solidify it. To be perfectly honest, this was the spell I used when I stopped Abyss Break. The difference between the two being that Counter sends things straight back while Contain allows for more freedom."

Cana nodded once before we went back to business. "We need to beat Laxus. This has gone on long enough."

Lucy said, "I'll try to get the people of the city to evacuate." And then, she was gone. After a moment, Happy followed her out. Cana and Juvia took their leave. Levy decided that she wasn't much out in the field and offered to try to do something about the rune barrier barring our participation.

As the woman rushed out to face the last threat, all I could think to say was, "And then there were four."

I had gone to check up on Master Makarov and Bisca while Levy got to work. Watching their sleeping forms, I looked to both of them in frustration. I'd only known them for maybe a couple of weeks and but even still, they felt like family. I growled. How the hell would I know what family felt like? The first eleven years of my memories had been erased. Even now, it felt like I was only grasping at straws, trying to pull a dysfunctional family back from the brink. I traced the design of the Lacrima in my pocket. I could feel the barely repressed energy surging through it, hear how unstable it was, and it sent chills up my spine.

To think something as small as this could cause so much damage… I had a problem wrapping my mind around it.

_What about that, old man?_

I froze and whirled at the sound of Laxus's voice. But, he was nowhere to be found. What in the…

_My next hostages are everyone in the entire town._

There. I heard his voice again. But not out loud. Within my head. But how…? I drew in a soft breath before pulling out the Lightning Lacrima. Was this thing transferring Laxus's thoughts into my own? I tried to think rationally about all this. Whenever I use Contain, whatever magic power that is around is usually pulled in and suppressed. But, usually that only works when two sides aren't trying to use the same Lacrima. Despite my obvious possession of the Lacrima, the magic itself belonged to Laxus. No matter what claim I had over it, it was still under Laxus's control. So maybe with the power being pulled two ways, it was acting as a bridge between the two of us. A bridge that only I could sense. If that was the case, I could pinpoint Laxus's location and lead the others to him. But first, if this was to work, I'd have to practice and hope for the best.

**Lucy**

"Why didn't you use the guild's loud speakers?" Happy asked as he walked along beside me.

I merely said, "The runes stated that only the Master would be able to use the loud speakers during the battle." She sighed, her face set angrily. "They really did think of everything. Anyway, we have to get the people of the city to evacuate away from the Thunder Palace."

Happy frowned. "Yeah, but I think it'll be better not to."

"Huh?"

Happy gestured to the crowd below. "There are a lot of people outside Magnolia visiting for the Harvest Festival now. Everything is in chaos already."

I was unconvinced. "But the people are looking up uneasily at those Lacrima."

Happy shook his head. "That only makes my point. If you tell them what they are, you're sure to cause a panic. A ton of people will get injured."

"But if I don't…what should I do?" I refused to give this up. All of these innocent people were in danger. I needed to do something. But what?

Yeah, what should you do? Yeah, what? Yeah, what?

I looked to my right to see three floating dolls. Immediately, I jumped back.

"Lucy, watch out!" I felt a tug as Happy pulled me up and away from the three dolls that were now firing magical shots at us. Landing on a building, Happy said, "It's Bickslow!"

On the top of the flagpole of Toy World directly in front of us was Bickslow. He was a tall man with a slightly muscular build. He wore a visor that covered his eyes, a dark mildly fitting cloth covered in vertical white stripes and a pair extremely baggy loose dark pants tucked inside lightly armored greaves. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a mix between a knight and a court jester. He definitely had the looks for it.

"Hey there! So you're the newbie I've heard about?"

Every rumor about me was nowhere near the truth so I was slightly afraid to ask but curiosity got the better of me. "Heard what about? I'm not sure I even want to know."

"The hot-headed princess who loves cosplay and meat!"

I was bewildered. "Who comes up with these things?"

Bickslow laughed. "So what's this? A cheerleader?"

His dolls copied his words. "Cheer, Cheer!"

Bickslow smiled. "Hey babies, get her!" And then they went to work. Firing out magical shots, I dodged to the left. Overhead, I could hear Bickslow's insincere apology but I paid it no mind. I had to defeat this guy, here and now.

So, instead, I scolded him. "Do you really think the master will forgive you for doing that?"

"I don't need the master's forgiveness. Because when this game is over, Laxus will be the master." As soon as he was done talking, two more dolls fired at us and Happy and I had to jump back to avoid getting hit.

I looked up. "Those flying things are getting in the way." In that case…

I held up one of my favorite spirits. "Gate of the Archer, I open thee! Sagittarius!"

Sagittarius could only be described as a man holding a bow with a quiver of arrows on his back and wearing a horse costume even though that wasn't really it. But, trying to explain why he looked that way would take forever. And honestly, we didn't have that luxury.

"Did you call? Moshi-moshi!" Sagittarius asked.

Lucy nodded. "Aim for those flying things, okay?"

Sagittarius notched an arrow before answering. "Roger that, as it were! Moshi-moshi!"

I watched with satisfaction as Sagittarius notched and released arrow after arrow. All connected with their targets. And soon the sky was filled with nothing but the remains of those wretched dolls.

Bickslow started to have a breakdown. Made sense. Without his magic in play, there wasn't much he could do in a fight. I wondered if he would surrender and save himself the trouble. "If you want to surrender, now's your chance."

Bickslow's meltdown looked as if it were reaching an extreme. "Babies…babies…babies… Psyche!"

A powerful blast of energy struck Sagittarius point-blank.

"Sagittarius!" I cried as I watched him fade away back to the Spirit World.

"There's a hobby shop under here. It's got a treasure trove of dolls." Bickslow explained.

"What are those?" I asked.

Bickslow snorted. "No matter how many dolls you destroy, it does nothing to me, a manipulator of souls!"

"Souls?"

Happy supplied me with further knowledge. "Bickslow uses magic that allows him to possess dolls with souls."

I contemplated that. "So then, this time…" I picked through my key case when… **Grab!**

One of the dolls grabbed my keys right from out of my hands. No! Without those, I was useless as a wizard. I wouldn't be able to do any type of magic.

"You can't retreat now." In a voice that sounded like he wasn't sorry at all, he said, "Sorry about this, cosplay girly. Now, offer you soul to Laxus! Baryon Formation!"

The dolls above him came together to form a pentagon that glowed with green power. Suddenly, a giant ray of energy was shot towards me and I could do nothing but close my eyes as I waited for the onslaught.

Then, there was a feeling of weightlessness and I heard the sounds of the explosion fading away.

"I wonder why…" I gasped I knew that voice…

"It seems like only I can go through the gate freely regardless of your will. Could it be that our love had shattered the barrier between man and spirit, perhaps?"

I merely flushed. "Love? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Bickslow suck in a quick breath. "You're… Loke!"

Loke looked at Bickslow with murderous intent. "The time has come for me to keep my promise, it seems."

"Loke! So you _were_ a Spirit!" Bickslow mused. "Here I never told anyone your secret, and now you turn on me?" He tried not to chuckle. "So, are you joining in the Battle of Fairy Tail?"

Loke looked cool and collected, as always. "I really don't care that much about what's going on. I just won't allow you to harm my owner, Lucy, no matter what."

"Won't allow me?" This time, he did laugh. "Come on now, you've never beaten me. And I was always holding back when we fought!" Turning to his dolls, he commanded, "Rough 'im up like the old times, my babies!"

Meanwhile, Loke took front and center. "Lucy, stand back!"

I gave him a glance. "What are you saying?" Whipping out my whip, I elaborated. "Spirits aren't shields. I fight alongside them! That's my style!" We gazed each other with trust. It was a nice moment until…

"You lllike him!"

"No, I don't!" I shouted back at that blue cat. He was seriously getting on my nerves with that.

The dolls began to make their assault. Loke dodged to the right while Happy and I made our way to the left.

"I'll do something about the dolls," Loke reiterated. "When there is an opening, focus on going after Bickslow, Lucy!"

"Right!" I nodded. "Let's go, Happy!"

"Aye!"

_Bickslow vs. Loke and me: Which of us is coming out on top?_

* * *

A/N: Hello, readers. After two weeks of intense homework and studying for final exams, not to mention doing make-up work, ArthurDragonpen has come out from behind the clouds and is ready to keep writing. Again, I have to apologize for not updating sooner but with all the work, i had to do, it just wasn't possible. Also, despite saying that i'm going tofinish this up in the next two chapters, i have realized that _that_ might not be the case. The Battle of Fairy Tail wasn't my favorite arc. And the only highlights were Mirajane and Mystogan and his mysterious revealation. That being said, I will try and update regularly during Christmas Break. The OC offer i made in my last update still stands. If you want your OC appearing in the story, I suggest doing it soon. I plan on finishing this arc before Christmas break is over. Please review and i'll keep writing. ArthurDragonpen, signing out!

Oh yeah! P.S: **Jp3711nc1**, Because this isn't my favorite arc, I've decided to skip ahead and start the filler episode alongside the remainder of the arc. Hopefully, I'll finish it at the same time of the arc. If I do, I'll add it on as an extra. Then, i'll start working on the Oracion Seis Arc. So, until next time!


	7. Chapter 6: The Demon's Awakening

**Chapter 6: The Demon Awakens**

**Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail.**

**A/N: Sorry! Previously, I had meant for this chapter to come out on Christmas Day as a gift to all the people who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. Unfortunately, that day as well as both Thursday and Friday had become very busy and every time, I always got home so late, it was already 2 in the morning. So, I decided that Saturday, I would finish it and Sunday would be the day to post it. I hope you all haven't been waiting too long and I'm sorry if you have. So, here is Chapter 6 of the Counter Mage!**

* * *

**Emiren**

After three failed attempts at getting my power to work the way I needed it to, I was seriously considering giving up. Despite my theory, it wasn't working as planned. The Lacrima had used to be the size of my palm when I had first started training. But with every misfire of my abilities, it shrunk. I suppose that was because my Contain spell was exceptionally powerful. That and this new ability was still… incomplete. As long as I didn't have it under control, there was no way to trace Laxus and no way to stop him if everyone fails.

I think it was that thought that made me push forward and try again. The whole entire guild (minus Natsu and Gajeel) was out there fighting for us. I had already seen the runes. Right now, Lucy was going up against Bickslow as I spoke. Plus, the others were out searching for Laxus and Freed. And Levy was doing all she could to free us from the barrier. Out of everyone, I was the only one not really good for any of these occasions. That's why…

I nodded, coming to a decision. "That's why, no matter how many times it takes, I will get this spell to work. I promise."

I thought about it for a minute more. A promise. Not bad. Now, I just have to keep it. Studying the Lacrima in my palm, I made a few measurements before coming up with some results. If I was right, I would be able to use the technique four more times before I exhausted the crystal and ran out of energy.

So, with new resolve, it was time to get back to work.

* * *

**Lucy**

It had been only a few minutes since our battle began and we were holding our own. Loki did his best to dispose of the dolls that attacked us and I searched for an opening so I could get to Bickslow.

Bickslow smugly smiled. "I told you, it's no use! Your attacks won't affect souls! Besides, it doesn't matter how many you destroy; I can just manipulate other bodies. Get to it, my new babies," As soon as the words left his lips, more dolls took the place of the ones destroyed, launching themselves my way.

Before they could get five feet, there was a flash of light and Loke appeared. "No matter how many come at us, I won't let them get near Lucy!"

With the dolls destroyed, I shouted, "Now's our chance! Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" He cried, hoisting me up into the air. With a crack of my whip, I attacked Bickslow. Unfortunately, he jumped back.

"Whoa there!" He suddenly got angry. "Don't freak me out like that, cosplay princess!"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I shouted in frustration. No, calm down, keep your cool. Getting under your skin is another part of his plan.

"Lucy!" I regained my composure and stared Bickslow down with rapt attention as Loke told me to force him back. "Bickslow himself isn't that strong."

It was Bickslow's turn to lose his cool. His face turned red and his knuckles turned white. If I could see his eyes, I bet they'd be burning with rage. He shouted back at Loke. "What the hell are you saying, you bastard?"

Of course it was stroke of luck for me. With a well place strike, I whipped Bickslow right across the face. I smiled. That's what you get for losing your composure.

Bickslow wasn't smiling anymore. "Damn it! Guess I have no other choice!" He raised his hand to the visor covering his eyes. Happy gasped before shouting up at me. "Lucy, Loke, cover your eyes!"

Together, Loke, Happy, and I shut our eyes, despite me not understanding why I had to. Luckily, Happy was able to fill in the blanks. "All of the Thunder Tribe has secondary magic in their eyes! Ever uses it as her main magic, but if you look into Bickslow's eyes, you will turn into a doll and your soul will be manipulated!"

"Seriously?" Loke's voice was laced with surprise and maybe a little bit of fear.

I sighed. "That was a close call."

Bickslow's voice called out to us. "So, your eyes closed?"

There were merry cheers then… Bam! I was hit across the face by what I assumed to be the doll. I hardly had time to feel that pain before the others attacked us all at once. It went on and on… the pain of not being able to fight back, both for myself and for Loke. But without sight, there wasn't much either of us could do. Manic laughter could be heard from far away. "My Doll Possession and Figure Eyes are an unbeatable combination."

"No matter what, don't open your eyes, you two!" Happy cried.

Easy for you to say. You're not Bickslow's target. Still, there was no point in getting mad at him. This wasn't his fault.

I was trying to get used to the stinging pain that engulfed my body but my senses were dulling. I'd already used up a lot of magic energy from opening those other gates. I didn't have long before I fell from exhaustion. Mixed with these bruises, I wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon, which meant we needed to defeat him now.

"Lucy! Close my gate temporarily and take shelter inside Horologium!"

"You're the one who just showed up!" I uttered back, "And I had my keys taken away from me! Plus… I trust **you **so do something!"

Loke was silent for a moment. Then, "Right, let's go for it, Lucy! When I give you the signal, open your eyes and charge in!" he demanded.

I was bewildered. "But if I open my eyes…"

"You trust me, right?"

Oh, I smiled. "Got it…"

Even with my eyes closed, I could see a golden radiance stretching out in front of me. "Regulus has fully risen. Lion Flare!"

"My… my eyes!" Bickslow's wail was deathly loud.

"Lucy!"

My eyes snapped open and, with the time I had, I managed to tie Bickslow up with my whip. He was struggling but I held him tight, refusing to let go. Bickslow let out a string of insults. "Loke, there's no way you can beat me!"

Loke's voice was calm and determined. "I'm nothing like I was back then." He began to move towards Bickslow, as his golden light wrapped around his figure. "I met Lucy and I regained my true powers as a Spirit. No… I met Lucy and got even stronger."

"I'm not like those dolls you manipulate! Love makes Spirits stronger! Regulus Impact!"

Bickslow's eyes fixed on the magic circle that released a giant golden lion head of flames that enveloped Bickslow before ripping through him and sending him flying to the other side of town.

Noting the damage that I could stress about later, I turned back to Loke with a grateful smile on my face. "Thank you, Loke."

Loke fingered his glasses. "Look, Lucy!" He stretched his hands to the heavens and from them came words of light and color that spelled out "I Love Lucy!".

I let out an exasperated sigh.

"He lllikes you…"

"Please don't roll your tongue like that!"

I dropped to the ground, suddenly tired for the fighting. "I feel so weak…"

Happy supplied, "It's probably because of the two Zodiac gates you opened."

Loke knelt down in front of me with my keys in hand. "I'll come to save you anytime."

I did my best to smile. "Yeah… thanks!"

* * *

**Levy**

"Lucy won!" Natsu yelled. I looked up to see the final results. I had known previously that Lucy had gotten into a fight with Bickslow. I just didn't have too much time to process it, especially since I was still trying to figure out how to rewrite these runes.

"No way! That cheerleader can fight?" Gajeel's voice was one of astonishment.

Natsu smiled. "Lucy's pretty tough."

"You're joking right? I mean, she a cheerleader!"

I grinned. Nice job Lucy, now we're one step closer to ending this. I looked down at my unfinished work. "I've gotta finish this." In the background, Natsu and Gajeel were arguing with puppets, and while I had to wonder where the puppets come from, I had more pressing matters to deal with. "If I can just figure this part out… if I rewrite the runes…" My mind was going 80 miles a minute. I knew I was getting somewhere. But, "But this is the hardest part to…"

I shouted in realization, "That's it!" and both Natsu and Gajeel were stunned into silence.

I was in too much of a stupor to notice. My pen whittled away at the pages while I said my thoughts aloud. "I got it! You read the two grammars at different rates to decipher it! Then I match the corresponding time differentiated letters and convert to Gheel grammar… then translate into Rogue…"

I made a few more adjustments, crossed out a couple of mistakes, and stared at the results in my hands. Getting to my feet, a successful grin graced my face and I shouted in elation, "I solved it!"

Running up to the barrier, I told the others to hang on while I rewrote the runes. Before I did it though, I asked Natsu and Gajeel a question. "Are you ready? You're about to join the Battle of Fairy Tail!"

Gajeel smiled wickedly and Natsu's fist erupted into flames. "I'm all fired up!"

Gajeel gave me a smirk. "Time to go on a rampage!"

* * *

**A/N: Just a small note: This will not be the last chapter where I look at the other character perspectives. Besides, Emiren can't be everywhere. He's just in the places that he's most needed. So, without further ado, here is Cana's perspective which will be replaced with Freed's after a while. **

**Cana**

"How much longer until Thunder Palace activates?" I asked Juvia.

"About thirty minutes perhaps," she answered.

I snarled. "Laxus, damn him... Battle of Fairy Tail, my ass! He's just hiding himself and doing nothing!"

After a moment, Juvia stopped to search the surrounding area. "Where could he be?"

"Laxus is saving his magical power." The voice stopped the two of us in our tracks and we turned to face our green-haired guild member. "He's saving his energy in case he has to fight the master for real."

I clenched my teeth. "Freed!"

"So, he's the one who made the runes?" Juvia whispered.

I just watched in anger as the runes swallowed him up. "Running away?"

"Wait, Freed!" Juvia and I gave chase as Freed fled to the outskirts of town. Desperate to keep up, I poured on the speed, Juvia matching me pace for pace. An unusual sound caught my attention before the ground lit up dark purple and runes surrounded us both.

We didn't have time for this. Quickly, I went over the instructions. "Rule: Exiting the runes is forbidden…"

"Until one of you can no longer fight," Juvia finished.

Freed appeared right outside the barrier. "I'll fight whoever the victor is. Now, begin!"

Angrily, I pounded on the wall of the runes. "That's a cheap trick, Freed! If you wanna fight, you don't have to do this! I'll take you on!" When that didn't work, I tried another approach. "Or could it be that you're scared of taking us both on by yourself? Scared of two women? How pitiful, Freed!"

Freed was unimpressed and said in a collected way, "I just don't want to dirty my hands if I can help it."

Juvia's voice was soft. "So this is how you get your friends to fight amongst each other…"

"Friends?" Freed's voice was questioning, as if he truly didn't understand the meaning of the word but soon, he shrugged it off. "Well, I'd prefer it if Cana was the one left standing."

I stopped struggling against the barrier. _What? Why me?_

Freed eyed Juvia. He cleared his throat. "Juvia Loxar, you have been a member of Phantom since birth. Who knows when she'll turn her blade against Fairy Tail again?"

I exploded. "Freed, you bastard!" _Don't you dare mouth off to Juvia like that! Like you have room to talk!_

"I guess there is no other choice."

A sound like waves startled me and I turned to see Juvia's body dissolve into a torrent of water. Juvia's voice spoke up. "Freed, will you honor your pact to fight the victor with all your might?"

Freed was adamant. "I never break my own rules."

Juvia sighed. "Good."

Juvia changed shape, as if preparing to strike. Meanwhile, I was trying to talk her out of it. "Are you serious, Juvia? This is exactly what he wants. For you to play into his…" She attacked before I could get the last words out of my mouth. I raised my arms to defend myself but it was too late. The blast of water directed at me had… flown right over my shoulder and hit the wall. It began to climb. Was she trying to find a way over?

Freed stayed calm. "It's no use! You can't escape the runes, no matter how high you ascend."

Juvia wouldn't let that get to her. "If it takes being injured to open the path… if it has to be a choice between my friends and me…" She was headed for… I drew in a sharp intake of breath.

Freed was just as surprised. "The Lacrima?"

I shouted to her, "Don't attack that!" But, my shout fell to deaf ears.

"Then Juvia will light the way!" In a final burst of speed, she shot through the lightning Lacrima with lightning precision. "Juvia!" I cried. She looked down at me kindly. **Crack!**

**"AAAHHHH!" **I could only watch as she was ripped into by a dozen plus lightning screams were like sharp knives splitting me open. I wasn't hurt at all but it felt like I was. Tears started to fall from my eyes and I did nothing to wipe them away as Juvia collided with the ground. I ran to her side. "Juvia!"

The familiar sounds of the runes reached my ears but I couldn't care less. _Juvia, why? Why would you do this?_

"This way, the runes are… unlocked," Her voice was softer than I had ever heard it. She was too frail; she should have tried to conserve her strength. But, here she was. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Juvia swallowed slowly. "Juvia wants people to hurry and accept her… as a true member of Fairy Tail," her eyes swimming with tears, she admitted, "I love everyone…"

"What are you saying? Of course you're already one of us…" I couldn't keep my voice from cracking. "Being accepted? You're already our friend! You're a wonderful Fairy Tail wizard!"

Juvia smiled, cringing because it took much effort. "Cana, Juvia is… glad." Her eyes closed and she ceased moving. I cried out, **"JUVIA!"**

_Don't let Juvia's sacrifice be in vain. You know what you have to do. Now do it. _The productive part of my mind brought me out of my gloom and sadness. It was right. Now was not the time. As I got to my feet, I pulled a few of my cards free. _Make him pay. _I whirled to face him, shouting at the top of my lungs. "FREED!"

* * *

**Emiren**

**"YES!" **I shouted. Almost immediately, I toned it down, taking it upon myself to check on Bisca's and the Master's out of commission forms. Luckily, they hadn't woken even after the racket I made.

Still, I was too elated to be ashamed even if I _had_ awoken them. Because I had done it. I had perfected the technique on the second try, enabling for me to be able to use it another two times, which was more than enough for what I had planned. Ecstatic, I rushed to go tell the others. Exiting the infirmary, I ran into the guild hall, searching for Natsu or Gajeel. When I found neither, I made my way over to Levy.

"Levy! I know where Laxus is!"

"Huh?" Her face was twisted in a weird mix of utter trust and disbelief. "How?"

In response, I pulled the Lacrima from my pocket. "I'm not too sure about the specifics. But, basically by using the Lacrima, I'm able to follow Laxus back to his point of origin. I'm thinking of calling this new magic… Trace."

Levy looked from the Lacrima to me. "What will you do once you find him? Do you plan on taking him on yourself?"

I deflated considerably, my cheeks flushing. "We were both in the park that day. We already know that in a fight between Laxus and me, he would be the obvious winner." She nodded, knowing that I was right. "But if Natsu or Gajeel were with me, we might have a better chance at beating him." As an afterthought, I added, "Of course I'd also feel safer if we could pick up Erza along the way, but I guess I'll have to make do."

"So where are they? Are they on the balcony or something?" I walked towards the balcony. "I'll go get them.

Levy looked away towards Magnolia. "I rewrote the runes. Natsu and Gajeel are gone, looking for Laxus in the city."

I stopped, not even surprised that Fate had decided to put another twist in the tale. Can't seem to catch a break, can I? That aside, I sighed. "Then, I guess I'm doing this the hard way."

Shrugging off my obvious annoyance, I walked towards the guild entrance. Levy's voice called out to me. "What are you doing?"

I turned back to face her. "Stalling for time. If I run into the others while I'm tracking Laxus, I'll lead them to him. If that doesn't happen, I'm pretty sure the sounds of a battle will draw their attention."

Levy's eyes widened in fright. "No, Emiren, you can't be serious. You already know what will happen if you go up against Laxus. He'll destroy you."

My body trembled from her reminder but I walked away so she wouldn't have the time to notice. "I'm well aware." My voice was firm despite my stature. "But, if you could do something to help, anything to help, wouldn't you do it?"

Levy bit her lip. I could tell she wanted to protest. I could see she wanted to tell me it was too dangerous, to sit back and let the others handle this but she really didn't have the right and she knew it. She'd already done her part. Now it was time to do mine.

**_Whirr! Whirr!_**

Levy gasped. "The runes!"

I stared in shock. "The battle between Freed and Cana is underway."

"Oh, no!" Levy was processing the news as best she could. So, while she was, I decided now was the time. I ran out the door and down the steps towards the city. With the Lacrima on the center of my palm, I concentrated and watched as the crystal levitated off my hand, forming a psychic bridge between me and my target. No matter what happens, Laxus had to be stopped. And I swore I would stop him, even if it came at the price of my mangled body.

* * *

**Freed**

**"**Don't you at least understand the basic?" I scrutinized my opponent. I raised my sword as if to defend against her. "No matter how powerful your spells are, if they don't hit your opponent, they don't work."

In response, Cana pulled free three cards and said the incantation, "Card Magic: Heaven! Reverse Death! Mountain! Summoned Lightning!" A magic circle opened in front of her and through it came lightning of immense speed. Though nothing near Laxus's standard, which at this point, was a disappointment.

Holding my sword to the sky, I whispered, "Ecriture of Darkness…Rejection!" I slashed at the spell, sending its power right back on the caster and I watched as it collided.

**"AUGGHHHH!" **She cried out in pain as the bridge collapsed underneath her feet. Pieces of the crumbled remains of the bridge crashed down next to her, narrowly missing her weak and pitiful form. I was slightly perturbed by her. Why she would fight so hard for a Phantom tramp was beyond me. Maybe I'd never understand. Still, her fighting spirit was commendable. "You're a stubborn one. But, I suppose that is to be expected of a guild veteran."

Cana didn't seem to enjoy his comment. Getting to her feet, she snarled, "Take it back! Take back what you said about Juvia being Phantom's woman!"

I was starting to get rather bored with both Cana and her views, which meant that it was time to end it. Taking my sword, I slashed a set of runes across her forehead and spoke a few choice words. Cana's eyes bulged from the weight of the spell I placed on her. And she fell unconscious from the strain of trying to stay awake.

"Cana!" Mirajane's voice rose up to meet me. "Stop it, Freed!" I looked calmly back at her. Her and Elfman. Neither was a match for me. A fact which they both must have already known deep down. Still, I should at least remind them of consequences involving this game. "Elfman…you have lost to Ever. You have no right to join back in the game."

Elfman, being the moron he was, answered back, "Shut up!"

"Stop it already! Aren't we all friends?" Mirajane's fists were clenched in a threatening manner, as if she planned to do something with them. But I already knew how futile that was. Futile and pointless. _Like she has any magical power anymore._

Friends? Something about the way she said it irked me. But why? To keep with character, I replied, "We were, once. However, in a game where the goal is the reconstruction of such stature, the notion is considered null and void." Closing my eyes, I brandished my sword. "Here, Laxus's enemy is my enemy."

"Enough of your blabbing!" Elfman shouted, his deep voice gaining speed as distance between the two of us reduced.

In a move of great speed, I slashed a pair of runes across Elfman's chest. In his confusion, I explained, "It is forbidden for a defeated player to rejoin this game. Those who do so will face a fate worse than death itself." As the runes faded into Elfman's skin, I spoke their activation code: Ecriture of Darkness. Pain. This will be your reality as well as your senses."

Elfman grabbed at his head, screaming bloody murder. It wasn't just his own injuries hurting him anymore. It was the soft breeze that blew across the two of us. The sweat that glistened on his person. The sounds of his own screams. The rune drew this entirety out and used it as a weapon against the bearer. Already, Mirajane was crying out, telling me to stop to let Elfman go. But, this was only the beginning. If they were to learn, Elfman must first learn his place.

I quickly slashed on a couple more runes. "Ecriture of Darkness! Dread! Agony!" Elfman cried out, but I pushed aside his pain. In passing, I realized that his very existence was only a dot on the grand scale of things. I was surprised I hadn't figured it out sooner. I must make an example of him. I slashed at him over and over, adding rune upon rune. Both of the Strauss siblings cried out but I paid each no mind. There was a final lesson to be learnt. And both would learn it, whether they wanted to or not. With no sign of a heavy heart, I raised my sword to speak the final words. "Ecriture of Darkness! Death!"

For a moment, I hesitated. The wind blew around us, Mirajane and Elfman and I. For a brief period of time, it felt like we were the only ones here. The sky grew dark, replacing the once tranquility of the area with an ominous feeling. Upon realizing that this was not my own magic, light was born from that darkness. "What is this magical power?"

I turned to see Mirajane. Her tears flowed freely down her face and her voice cried out with the pain and sorrow of one who knows despair. The light around her gave off an angelic feel but the darkness that enveloped her from suggested otherwise. At once, she began to transform. Her hair grew longer and wilder, jutting upwards and curling slightly. Her ears had enlarged, extending backwards and gaining pointed ends. Her forearms and hands were covered with scales, with each sprouting a fin-like protrusion on their outer sides and a large stocky tail of metal plates slithered behind her. Her clothes had changed as well. The attire she had been wearing had been replaced by a dark pink one-piece suit that exposed most of her belly, arms, legs, back and cleavage. As soon as the transformation had finished, she leaped towards me, her fury unraveled, and struck at the place where I stood.

Using a quickly thought-up spell, I crafted a pair of runes wings that helped me fly away from the destruction. Mirajane would have none of that. Out of her back sprouted black spiky wings and with deadly precision, she flew after me, managing to clip me twice with her claws. I flew off to a safer distance as I searched the land and sky for her presence. But I wasn't given much time before I felt her appear right behind me. For a small minute, we appraised each other. Me in awe, her in righteous fury. With a hint of finality within her voice, she said, "You're dead."

I clenched my teeth. _So this is the Demon Mirajane's Take-Over… Satan Soul!_

Mirajane raised a hand. "Darkness Stream!"

A magic circle ejected many tendrils of dark magic my way. I evaded as best as I could. With a flick of my sword, I tried to use a rune but Mirajane destroyed my blade, forcing me to fly away and forcing her to give chase. As I bought myself some time, I knew defeating her would take… that. "It is forbidden, but I have no other options left."

To fight a demon, I must become one. "Ecriture of Darkness: Darkness!" Casting the spell on myself, I revert to the form of a demon. Of course I have no time to admire my handiwork and raise a fist to counter Mirajane. Our fists collide in midair and the force of it destroys the area around us. We moved as fast as lightning itself, perhaps even quicker. Mirajane's movements were fluid and well planned, not wasting whatever advantage she gained. I was faring only slightly worse. Then Mirajane sends me crashing into the wall of stone that crumbles under our weight. Down, down, down we fall into the makings of a cave. With rough golden claws, Mirajane shouts, "Evil Spark!"

My stomach squirms as the shocks electrocute every inch of my body. Mirajane stares down at me with contempt, as if to say, _I'd thought you'd be more of a challenge. _I gasped at her magic power. I had heard the rumors but could this really be the "same" Mirajane? "You're strong, I'll give you that. But, I can't lose here." Letting loose a torrent of Dark Magic, I shouted to the heavens. "Darkness Breath!"

A tornado of dark energy grabbed Mirajane and threw her into the air. Before she had time to retaliate, I used my Darkness Flare Bomb spell, which sent her flying miles deep into the nearby river. _Did I finally do it?_ I thought hopefully.

Much to my surprise, Mirajane gathered the water around her, creating a cyclone of magical energy. I was frozen. "Just how much magic does she have?"

His musings were cut short when Mirajane released the floodwaters with a shout. "Evil Explosion!"

Despite my speed, I was unable to dodge the power of this new move. She followed up with a head butt that knocks me back a couple of feet. Trying to gain my composure, I have just enough time to gawk at the newly made Dark Magic Circle before the entirety of its power is sent my way. **"SOUL EXTINCTION!"**

The world went purple and I lost control of the transformation. Hurtling to the ground, I cried out when I hit the solid ground. I was done. There was no way to come back from an attack of that magnitude. And even if there was, my magic was spent.

CRASH! The ground was uprooted as Mirajane landed. Her eyes flashed red and I realized that though I was finished, Mirajane had not yet started. In a lunge of speed, she grabbed my neck, slammed my head down, and sent her arm in an overhead arc that would end in a punch. As it happened, time seemed to slow down, my heart was racing, and there was no way I figured I'd get out of this alive.

And then… she stopped. She was breathing deeply, as if trying to gain control of herself. Slowly, she sat back, her Take-Over reverting back to her original form. Gone was the demon. Mirajane took its place. "What are you doing?" I asked, dreading the answer, whatever it may be.

Mirajane had a sad frown upon her face. "There's no point to this battle…"

I could feel the pity in her words and immediately, I shied away. "Arrogance of the victor, Mirajane? Finish me off!"

Mirajane shook her head lightly and she gave me a small smile. "We're all friends… members of the same guild. We smile together and have a good time together and move forward together."

No, I don't want to hear this. _Don't want to hear what?_ A voice asked. _The truth?_ "Shut up! My one and only friend is Laxus!"

Mirajane wouldn't believe it. "He's not the only one, right? You've already realized this, Freed… although I don't believe that relying on one person alone is wrong, there are lots of people all around you and those people are always connected with one another."

She grabbed hold of my hand. "See? If you stretch out your hand, there will be someone right there. When people realize how sad the path of solitude is, they become kind." She gripped me with her other hand. "And you've realized it."

She was right. I knew she was right. My eyes filled with tears that began to spill over no matter how much I wanted them to stop. I raised my free hand to cover my face as I admitted the truth. "I didn't…want to do this."

Mirajane smiled kindly. "We know." She looked to me, her eyes watery as well. "Next year, let's enjoy the Harvest Festival together, okay?"

She let her tears fall and I contented in the fact that as friends, at least we could cry together.

* * *

**Emiren**

Within the walls of the guild, it was easier to use my new technique. But, as I roamed the streets, I realized, with the rest of Thunder Palace in place, finding Laxus had just become a thousand times harder.

**_Whirr! Whirr! _**The sound of results caught my attention and I turned to read the newest report:

Freed vs. Mirajane: Both have lost the will to fight.

I blinked. The match between Mirajane and Freed had resulted in a draw. I already knew how powerful Freed was. So the fact that Mirajane was just as strong was a surprise to me. That must have been what I had seen in the sky a couple of minutes ago. The results of their battle. Hold on… the results. If Freed had been defeated then that means… there's only one person left. Laxus.

**Crack! **The Lightning Lacrima in my hand surged unexpectedly. It must have just gotten a lead on Laxus's whereabouts. Breaking into a run, I followed the directions I was given. Okay, Laxus, you've had your fun. But, now your game comes to an end. Hopefully, the others converge on the same spot. If not, I'll do what I can.

* * *

**A/N: I'm both glad and sad that I'm finally done with this chapter. Yes, it took a long time to write, what with all the interuptions and everything. But seriously, the only reason I enjoyed the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc was because I had been waiting for the fight with Mirajane. Seeing it the opener seven episodes beofre it happened got me psyched for it. But seeing it for the first time was... utter perfection. **

**Originally, I had planned to give Mirajane the voice during the battle. But, after a while, it shifted to Freed because I realized she wouldn't be that much of a bad-ass if I were voicing her inner thoughts. And yes, while I missed a chance to write the parts about Lisanna, once I reasoned with myself, I knew that it was for the best. And I know for a fact that I'm not going to try to write it over again. It took a lot of work the first time. Anyway, next up, Mystogan vs. Laxus. I've got a lot of good surprises planned for the next chapter. Plus, finally, Emiren will be slightly more important than he has been (which is to say that he is well on the way to actually doing something). His development as a main character is coming along slowly. But that's just to be expected. Soon, he will become a more involved character and I can't wait until that actually happens. So, please review, follow, or favorite. Doesn't matter which you do as long as you enjoyed this installment. Hopefully, I'll see you next time in a week at the least and two weeks at the most. ArthurDragonpen signing off!**


	8. Chapter 7: The Revelation

**Chapter 7: The Revelation**

**Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail. All characters, powers, and locations (except for a few) belong to Writer and Illustrator Hiro Mashima. **

**Without further ado, please enjoy Chapter 7. And I'm sorry if it feels a little short.**

* * *

**Lucy**

"Lucy, look at that!"

Startled by Happy's words, I looked up to see new runes. The results of another battle were in hand. "Freed vs. Mirajane: Both removed themselves from contention?"

"So," Happy mused, "that light from before was… I knew it!"

I nodded. "The Demon…" I'd already heard the rumors that told of how powerful Mirajane had been two years ago. But to believe she was still that powerful even now… "I kinda wish I'd seen it but then again maybe not."

Happy smiled. "Either way you look at it, the Thunder Tribe has been wiped out!"

"Oh, right!" Of course there was still one problem we seemed to be overlooking. "But then there's the Thunder Palace: Thunder Lacrima that will attack the entire city… what should we do about it?"

Happy's smile faltered as the reality of the situation weighed down on us. Despite beating all of the Thunder Tribe, we were still at a loss as to where Laxus was. And the countdown to destruction was almost at its end.

"As long as they're protected by Body Link magic, attacking them will end up damaging ourselves." Happy reminded me.

The stress was really starting to kick in. Lightning Lacrima bearing down on us. Not enough time left. Unable to evacuate the people of the city. I felt slightly woozy. Dropping to one knee, I heard Happy cry out and run to my side. "Lucy, are you okay?"

Breathe, me, breathe. "Yeah, thanks." I gasped out.

"Your magic power hasn't recovered yet. Please don't push yourself," Happy pleaded with me.

I understood why. There weren't many of us left. But, the ones who were left needed to do something about either Laxus or the Thunder Palace. I understood the practicality. But… I shook my head. "There has to be something we can do!"

* * *

**Levy**

"The Thunder Palace… Rendering the judgment of the god of thunder." I looked gloomily at the research books I had strewn across the floor. "There's only ten minutes until it activates." _Is Laxus really serious?_

I shook myself out of the gloom. "But, it'll work out, right? We still have Erza and Natsu… And Gajeel's there too! Plus, Mystogan's around. Although I've never seen him…" I let out a nervous laugh. _Emiren's out there too._

The laugh stopped and I thought back to his last words._ But, if you could do something to help, anything to help, wouldn't you do it?_

Levy had already done what she could: Rewriting the runes so that Natsu and Gajeel had a chance to end this fight. She probably could have done more, but against the Thunder Tribe, her powers would have been more of a hindrance than a help. Emiren, on the other hand, seemed to have not yet reached the font of his power because it seemed to be still growing. If he grew more powerful, maybe we could use his power against Laxus… somehow.

I decided that reasoning was better left alone. Emiren said he'd find a way and I believed in him.

"Huh?"

I noticed a shadow coming closer to the threshold. "I wonder who that could be?

When she walked in, I was surprised. I hadn't expected to see her so early, if at all. She spoke very clearly. "Where is the old fool?"

"P-Poluchka! What are you doing here?"

She sighed. "I asked you where he is."

_She must be referring to Master Makarov. _"He's in the infirmary!"

Poluchka set off without another word.

"Um, excuse me but… Right now he's…"

Poluchka didn't turn back as she answered, "I know. That's why I came."

"Wait, you came to treat the master?" I asked, no longer noticing that I was starting to talk in circles.

Poluchka, instead of acknowledging me, outright ignored me and made her way into the back room. Nervously, I followed, in case she needed assistance of any sort.

We were in there for maybe a couple of minutes. I didn't dare say anything as she analyzed his condition. Her expression hardened considerably. "Bring Laxus here."

I opened my mouth to speak but Poluchka wasn't yet done. "Bring that fool of a boy who's playing around while his grandfather lies gravely ill."

I took a tentative step forward. "Gravely ill? You're not serious, right?"

"Just bring him… Please." Poluchka's voice dropped down to a whisper. As she turned, I noted the tears in her eyes. "His time is running out."

And just like that, all Hope that I had in my heart had been diminished.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at Kardia Cathedral**

"The time is ripe," Laxus mused. With a bout of determination, he said, "Old man, I will surpass you." He got up and went over to the runes that foretold of the time left. "Six minutes until the Thunder Palace activates."

"Is he not going to step down?" His voice suggested bewilderment. But he wasn't really. It wasn't like he expected this outcome. But he did know the old man was stubborn. No matter what, he wouldn't change his mind.

The sound of the door opening caught the Lightning Mage's attention and he looked to see a man in baggy clothes and a mask around his face. He carried many magic staves in the sheath on his back and though his face was covered, one could not mistake the blue hair that showed through his disguise.

Laxus grinned in surprise. "Oh, you came, Mystogan?" He chuckled for a brief moment before turning to face his first opponent. "I didn't think you'd be participating in this game!"

Mystogan spoke. "If you call off the Thunder Palace right now, it is still possible to pass this off as mere festivities."

Laxus's grin grew larger. "So blissfully ignorant… Haven't you heard the rumors figuring who is the strongest in Fairy Tail, you or me?"

Mystogan gave nothing away, his voice remaining as monotone as ever. "Although I don't really care, aren't you forgetting Erza?"

"Her? Not a chance. She's on the right track but still weak."

Mystogan let out a rueful laugh. "Erza, weak? Are you truly that blind?"

"I'm saying that I recognize your skills, Mystogan. I wonder which of us is really the strongest in Fairy Tail?"

Mystogan replied with a repartee. "If that is all your eyes can see, I wonder who is the one so blissfully ignorant?"

"Let's settle this," Laxus said, shrugging off the insult like it was nothing. "We'll decided who is the strongest! Mystogan!" His smile turned devilish. "Or rather, another…"

Mystogan's eyes widened in alarm before shooting a bolt of light out of one of his Magic Staves at Laxus.

* * *

**Emiren**

"Where the hell are you, Laxus?" I yelled out, no doubt scaring the people nearby. I focused on the spell as it dealt with all of the interference known as the Thunder Palace. I still couldn't get a clear reading on him.

CRASH! The sound of a thousand exploding windows reached my ears and I turned to see a huge smoke cloud up ahead. It was coming from the Kardia Cathedral

* * *

**Back at the Cathedral**

As the smoke dissipated, one look told you that neither man had moved an inch from Mystogan's sudden attack.

Mystogan's eyes searched Laxus. "Where did you learn of that?"

Laxus smugly looked back. "Oh? That's quite rare to see you panic… Where did I find out? Who knows? Maybe I'll tell you if you beat me."

The wind around them in a frenzied manner. Mystogan voice dropped an octave. "You will regret this, Laxus. You will now witness magic that you have never seen before!" He drove the tip of his stave into the ground, where it stood imbedded in the stone.

"Scary, well, give it your best shot, buddy. I'll show you just how different we two are!" Laxus snarled those last words but it made no difference. The battle had started.

Taking the staves from his back, Mystogan arranged them into a peculiar pattern. "Skyscraper!"

Light filled the cathedral, drinking the color out of the world. When he opened his eyes, Laxus found himself suddenly floating above the crumbling church. The world shifted to darkness and a slit opened up within the shadows. Without a moment to comprehend, Laxus is tied up with belt-like tendrils. Out of the slit comes a huge reptilian monster that reaches out for Laxus. Cursing, Laxus thought, _What the hell is this magic?_

The shock of the magical force surrounding him coupled with the huge creature reaching out for him brought him back to reality and with lightning magic in tow, he ripped through the illusion that Mystogan had set out for him. "What a joke! You thought this illusion would actually work on me, Mystogan?"

Mystogan's eyes held grudging respect. "Impressive. But you noticed just a bit too late."

Light flooded the area where Laxus stood. Looking up, he saw five multicolored Magic Circles stack themselves one atop the other over him. Mystogan called out, "Sleep! Five Layered Magic Circle, Sacred Song!"

Laxus grin twisted into a cocky smirk. "Which one of us is the one who didn't notice?"

At the last second, a golden yellow Magic Circle appeared from underneath Mystogan's feet. At once, they attacked one another. Both of them kept it up, daring the other to quit. Somehow, they both managed to escape; Laxus by turning into lightning, Mystogan by utilizing his smoke form. They appeared before each other as if nothing had yet happened and the battle had just started.

"LAXUS!" Three voices called from the entrance.

Natsu, who hadn't been paying attention to anything but getting here, was surprised to see the two others. "Erza! Emiren!"

Meanwhile, Erza, who also hadn't been expecting to run into the two of them, was equally surprised. "Natsu! Emiren!"

Finally, there was Emiren, who was quietly celebrating in his mind. _I don't have to face Laxus alone! Whew! That's a load off._

* * *

**Emiren**

"You got out?" Erza asked us to which we nodded as confirmation.

"And who's that?" Natsu questioned for the both of us. I admit, I was intrigued too.

Erza looked to the battle. "Mystogan?"

I chanced a look towards the battle to see… "Huh, Mystogan, look out!"

"Too late! You let your guard down!" Laxus wrapped his fist in lightning and threw it Mystogan's way, where it collided with the mask on his face, ripping it to shreds.

Both Natsu and Erza stopped dead as they looked at the unmasked figure. I gazed at him and was shocked by what I saw. Blue hair. Brown eyes. A red tattoo that marked the right side of his face. My heart thumped quickly in my chest. I began to sweat. I knew him but yet I didn't. He was different somewhat. His face was the same but… it couldn't be… "Jellal?" I choked out.

Natsu stopped staring long enough to notice the fact that I seem to know who Jellal was too. How I knew, that was the problem. Supposedly, my memory should be erased. Why wasn't he one of the things I didn't remember? Was it possible that he is the key to my memory loss?

Laxus looked to the three of us with interest. "Oh, a familiar face?"

Natsu was bewildered. "Hold on… Are you Mystogan or… Jellal?"

Mystogan's face was sad. "Erza, I especially didn't want you to see. I am not Jellal. I know of him. But I am not him." He turned his razor sharp eyes to me in slight confusion. "I do not know how you come to know me but I am not the one you seek."

My face fell at his words. Later, I would question the logic of that statement but for now, I was majorly bummed. It's like he had the key to the chains holding my mind hostage and then he snatched them away before I could even reach for them.

Mystogan turned his back to the three of us. "I apologize. I leave the rest to you." He dissipated to smoke and was gone with a simple breeze.

Natsu sighed. "Now I'm all confused… I'll deal with that later. Laxus, I came to fight." Gone was his confusion. He was Natsu once more. "Erza, Emiren, you'll let me handle him, right?"

I snapped out of my fevered thoughts. "Uh… right!"

But Erza remained uncharacteristically quiet.

Natsu tried to grab her attention but it was futile. Suddenly, I felt the tension in the air shift and I knew. "Don't make ugly faces, Erza!" With a snap of his fingers, Erza found herself screaming in pain from one of Laxus's lightning attacks.

Just like before, I watched as Erza was electrocuted for a second before holding out the remaining fragment of the Lightning Lacrima and saying, "Contain!"

The power of the lightning froze just midway before retreating into the Lacrima, helping it grow in size and replenish all the magical energy I had wasted beforehand. I was able to stop further electrocution and I was proud of my quick response.

CRASH! It had happened so fast even Natsu had gotten a good look at it. My only guess was that Laxus had used his lightning speed to get to Erza. I rushed to her side while Natsu did as he normally did and ranted. "Laxus! I said that _I'd_ fight you, bastard!"

Laxus looked up at Natsu's outburst. The look on his face was so much anger as it was indifference. "What? You were here, Natsu?"

I already knew he was messing with him, trying to rile him up. And… it was working. I ended up just chalking it all down to reverse psychology and all that junk.

Natsu called forth his magic blaze. "I wouldn't underestimate me."

Laxus took off both his jacket and ear phones as Natsu leaped forward shouting, "NOW FIGHT ME, LAXUS!" Laxus dodged to the side, looking mighty amused at Natsu's attempt.

Erza was starting to come to so I helped her to her feet. "Natsu," she whispered.

Laxus frowned. "You're so annoying, always charging straight in! Get lost, small fry!" He hand released another discharge of energy that was thrown at Natsu, who dodged it effortlessly. High in the air, Natsu dropped down, spinning in a wide arc. "Talons of the Fire Dragon!"

Red flames of magnificent height covered his arms and legs and he kicked at Laxus, who blocked the attack and threw him away, like it was nothing. Landing in a crouch, Natsu flew back a few feet before he was able to find his footing.

"Natsu!" Erza and I cried in unison.

He gave us another one of his smiles. "Don't worry about me."

Laxus kicked him hard in the chest before punching three times in the face. "Who said you could run away?"

Natsu grabbed hold of Laxus's arm. "You think I was running? This is my chance to take the top spot." With that, he unleashed his flaming fist but Laxus only dodged backwards. He gripped Natsu's arm tightly before delivering a few more Lightning punches. Natsu took it as an invitation to punch back and somewhere along the way, it had become a routine.

Laxus changed it up, slamming Natsu's head into the ground. The ground underneath rose in waves at the force of the blast. Raising another lightning fist, he punched Natsu away. He landed safely a few feet away only to end up face-planting when Erza's elbow collided with Natsu's back.

I ran up to the two of them, now checking to see if Natsu was alright. Meanwhile, Erza decided to take full rein of this battle. "Re-equip!" Her outfit was switched out for black armor with leathery wings. Taking her sword, she slashed at Laxus, who manages to dodge.

Erza holds her sword at the ready as she begins to interrogate Laxus. "What are those things floating in the sky, Laxus?"

Laxus was bemused. "It's the Thunder Palace. Haven't you heard of it?"

Erza wasn't laughing. "You're seriously intending to attack Magnolia, you fiend?"

"It's a new rule! It really pains my heart…"

"You bastard!" Erza clenched her teeth. I could think of way worse things to call him but we didn't have time for that. Erza had tried to kick him but it only resulted in Laxus blocking it. She turned to Natsu. "Natsu, destroy them all."

"He can't." I said, revealing the predicament. "They are laced with Body Link Magic. If he tries to destroy them, they'll destroy him."

Erza was pained. The problem was clear. We'd already seen the damage that only one of those things had done to Bisca. And that was only half power. Imagine what destroying all of them would do. I'd pity whoever has to do it, Natsu or otherwise.

Laxus threw Erza away after trying to shock her with his magic. But as the smoke cleared, I realized that she had re-equipped once again and was now wearing white armor with a spear as her weapon.

Laxus scoffed. "Lightning Empress Armor? You seriously think that'll protect you from my lightning?"

He sends a bolt of it Erza's way but she jumps back and it narrowly misses her. She takes her staff and throws a lightning bolt back, which Laxus negates. Then, with another blast of lightning magic, Laxus yells, "Just try and block this one, Erza!"

His thunderbolt collided with Erza's barrier and I had to shield my eyes to keep the light from burning my eyes out of my sockets. Through the roar of the magic, I could hear their voices rising over the sound.

"When two wizards of the same type clash, the factors that determine the outcome…" The light faded and I was able to see the two of them again.

"Whoever has the highest magical power…" Laxus finished. "And their technique and experience, right?"

Erza shook her head. "And their heart! You should have learned this from the master!"

Laxus smiled. "Oh, I learned. I learned that the most important thing is power."

Natsu, irritated by how Erza inserted herself into his fight, said, "Erza, stop getting all fired up! I told you, I'll be the one to take on Laxus!"

Erza and Natsu gazed intently at one another. Finally, Erza smiled. "Guess I'll believe in you, then." She got out of Natsu's way and headed out of the cathedral. Puzzled, Natsu asked after her. "Hey, where are you going? Wait, are you going to stop the Thunder Palace?"

Laxus laughed jovially at his words. "You don't have a chance. Just destroying one risks your life. And right now there are countless Lacrima up there. You've run out of time to do a thing!"

Erza wasn't fazed by his words, replying, "I will destroy them all at the same time."

"Impossible!" Laxus's smiling face was starting to annoy me. "And if you did, you really wouldn't survive!" I could tell he didn't believe she would be dumb enough to risk her life for this. But, me… I understood why she would.

Erza chanced a look back at Laxus. "But the city would be saved. Stop Laxus, Natsu!"

Natsu nodded. "Guess I should believe in you too, Erza. I don't know what's possible or impossible… Believing in you coming back safe!"

I stood by Natsu's side, encouraged by his bravery and his words but somewhat annoyed that despite everything that had already happened, I still hadn't done one thing to help my guild mates, instead hiding behind others. So far, my promises didn't mean a thing and my word was trash. Still, Natsu was able to instill the last sparks of a fire within my soul. I wouldn't let it burn out now. And suddenly, inspiration struck. I knew what I could do to help. And though it was a stretch, it wasn't like I could do much else. So without any doubt, I said, "Natsu!"

He turned to me, almost as if he hadn't noticed I was there. I didn't feel too bad; I hadn't really done much. "Keep Laxus busy while Erza and I destroy the Thunder Palace." I ran out of the cathedral with Natsu yelling at me. "Emiren?"

I turned back to him. "I'll bring Erza back, safe and sound. I know it sounds impossible but for now, trust me. Trust me as a fellow Fairy Tail wizard that I'll get the job done."

He looked at me for a long time. Then, he smiled slowly. "Alright, you take care of Erza. I'll take care of Laxus."

"Good luck on your end!" I yelled before following after Erza. I glanced back for a moment but quickly looked away. I had promised to get the job done. Now wasn't the time to think of past mistakes or hope for slightly different results. Nor was it the time to wish that I was stronger and braver. It wasn't the time to dwell on the past. Now, only the future mattered. Like it or not, I've been entrusted with that future. And I won't let them down.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this was a good chapter. I actually enjoyed it, despite how short it was. If I keep it up, I should be done with this arc by the end of this break. And then I can move on to the filler episode I've been making. Hopefully, you'll enjoy that episode and not skip it, since it will not only include new OC's but also plot devices that I will bring to light later. All in all, it has been a privilege writing the Counter Mage and knowing that the pay-off is just around the corner makes me ecstatic. Even if my reviews, followers, or favorites aren't much, I will continue this story until I've told it in full. That's all for now. ArthurDragonpen signing off!**


	9. Chapter 8: A Promise to Keep

**Chapter 8: A Promise to Keep**

**Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail. I do, however own Emiren. Please enjoy Chapter 8 and know that I'm working my hardest on the next two updates. So, like I said, sit back and enjoy the show!**

* * *

**At the center of Magnolia**

Erza's voice was strained as she pushed her magic power to its limits. "198…199…" Two blades added themselves to the collection she had amassed. Each was facing forward, ready to strike the Thunder Palace when ordered.

She was exhausted as she brought the two blades forward. "If I want to destroy them all at once, I still need more… Ugh!" When a sense of dizziness had befallen her, she dropped to one knee. She knew what that meant. "I'm already out of magical power. And I'm also out of time."

Refusing to give up, she rose to her feet and proceeded to summon another blade. It added itself to her collection. Progress… but still. "Unless I have another 100 blades… I can't simultaneously…" she trailed off looking up in despair at the Lacrima staring her down.

_Hey, can everyone hear me?_

* * *

**Emiren**

"Huh? Warren?" I said, surprised to be hearing from him. I'd seen his battle earlier and despite the fact that he'd won, the Thunder Tribe had knocked them all out ages ago.

Erza spun to see me behind her. I had been about to call to her when Warren's mind interrupted. Of course at this point I was just happy to know he was all right.

_This is an emergency! Look up at the sky! _

Erza came to the same conclusion I had. "Telepathy."

_Wake up, you lazy bums!_ Right after the words left his mo… mind, other voices started speaking in my head.

_Warren?_ Macao.

_The sky? _Jet.

_What the heck are those?_ Droy.

Warren wasn't done sending the word out. _And if there is anyone still fighting, put it on hold. Listen up, everybody! We gotta destroy those things floating in the sky with all of the magic power we got! It's a magic spell from Laxus that'll attack the city! There's no time! Everyone do it!_

_What's this?_ Wakaba voice floated around in my head before being joined by others.

_Those are Laxus's_… Laki's voice made an appearance and I was happy to see that so many of us were alright.

Erza spoke up. "Warren, how do you know about the Thunder Palace?"

_That voice… Erza? You're okay?_ That voice could only belong to one person.

I smiled. "Gray!"

Erza let out a sigh of relief. "I see, so it was you."

Gray answered back. "Yeah, took me a while to find the guy."

_So, if Erza's okay_… Droy asked hesitantly.

I answered him. "Yeah, don't worry they're all safe."

_Juvia is also okay,_ Elfman's voice came in and no sooner did it fade leaving Mirajane in my mind. _So is Bisca, Alzack._

_Sorry_. Warren's voice was as apologetic as he felt, I was sure. _My telepathy can't reach all the way to the guild. We'll have to make do with the people who can hear me. Destroy those things up in the sky!_

_Damn you, Warren! _I noticed Max, the anger in his voice obvious. _Did you forget what you did to me?_ We're seriously having this discussion now?

_I'm sorry about that, man… I was, like, really trying to save Erza and the others, so…_

_This is Droy! Can you hear me, Alzack?_

Alzack's voice was a little worse for wear. _I-I hear you. I'm sorry about before._

_You think that's gonna cut it? _Droy's voice was nothing short of accusing. _You hit me with a sneak attack!_

The line suddenly became strained as everyone tried to voice their complaints at once. I could no longer hear one person coherently and we were running out of time. Somehow, in the two minutes we had left, we needed to destroy the Thunder Palace.

_Everyone, listen!_ Lucy's voice rang out, loud and clear, stunning everyone into silence. _This isn't the time to be fighting! The people of the city are in real danger! We have to all work together to protect the city of Magnolia! If we combine our powers, we can overcome anything! That's what I've learned after coming here._

She paused. _I know I just joined Fairy Tail recently. But my feelings for this guild are as strong as anybody's! Fairy Tail has been my dream since long ago… It's always been my goal. Even now… So, please… let's work together. __**Protect our guild and our city!**_

"Lucy." Erza's voice was soft. I was in awe.

_And_, Lucy continued, _if that won't convince you… I'll destroy all the Lacrima myself!_

_Listen up, people! _Cana's voice came through. _You really gonna let the newbie one up you like that?_

_She's not new anymore… she's got more Fairy Tail Spirit than any of us!_

Gray's voice spoke up._ Lucy, you're right. We'll settle things later._

_I can't argue with that, now can I? _Another voice spoke up.

_Thanks to you, I'm thinking straight again. Are all you folks ready?_ A new voice joined in.

I smiled. "Count me in! You're right, Lucy! Anyway, it's like I said! It's times like this where the guild needs to stand together."

The others started to make pretend jabs and as they did, I proposed my plan to Erza. Using the Lacrima I got from Laxus," I pulled out the tiny sliver that had been left over, "I can probably break the bond between the Lacrima and its attacker and seal the extra energy inside this Lacrima's shell. And since I've hardly used my magic all day, I know I can do this."

Erza nodded and I relayed the plan to the others. "Erza will handle the 200 to the north! The rest of you destroy all the ones around the south! And I'll do my best to lessen the pain you'll eventually receive."

_Don't leave a single one standing!_ Gray shouted in my head. _Ice Make Lance!_

_Demon Blast!_

One by one, I saw a multitude of different colored attacks rising up to meet the Lacrima. Erza drew herself to her full height while I got my own Lacrima ready. As if in a salute, she shouted, "Go forth, my blades!"

I watched everyone's strongest magics fly high until they clashed with the Thunder Palace, causing an explosion of epic proportions. Lacrima fragments began to fall, creating a surreal moment of beauty. But, I didn't have time to gawk. It would be happening anytime now. Holding my Lacrima aloft, I quickly called up the Trace spell so I could lock onto every member who was now linked with Body Link Magic. Wait… Wait…

**CRACK! **My eyes flew open and I yelled out, "Contain!"

I watched as the world around me lit up yellow and the sky filled with lightning magic. I could feel the power resonating within my gut and I breathed deeply, forcing the magic to come this way, to leave my friends and seal itself away into my Lacrima. I watched as the magic obeyed my commands, the results making the Lacrima even bigger as it loaded up on power. Finally, the world fell into silence. I dropped to my knees after exhausting a good bit of my strength. I had done it. Now, give or take 20 minutes, everyone was sure to get back up soon.

**SMASH! **The newly created Lacrima had fallen to the ground beside me and I closely inspected it. It was the size of a ball, something that you need both hands to throw. When I picked it up, however, it weighed next to nothing, making me highly curious.

"Everyone okay?" Erza's voice was soft, but filled to the brim with elation. I turned to see her lying on the ground a few feet away. "Honestly… You people are so reckless."

_Birds of a feather, you know…_ Gray's whisper didn't go unnoticed.

She chuckled for a second. "We really are a great guild."

Gray replied back. _And we'd be even better if Laxus got over his rebellious phase._

I smiled as the voices of everyone else came back to me, not strong, but at least there. Despite that… it wasn't over yet. I looked to the Cathedral, where a mini- light show seemed to be taking place. It'll take me some time to get back but… I can do it.

Picking up the Lacrima, I made my way to the church only to be stopped by a nearby voice. "Emiren?"

I froze. "Erza, you need to get some rest. I lessened the damage but even still 200 Lacrima is too much of a strain on your body. Stay here. Natsu and I will finish this." I sounded braver than I felt. But, something was pushing me along. It was as if something knew I wasn't yet done, that there was still much left for me to do.

So without another word, I made my way back to Kardia Cathedral, with the hope that between Natsu and me, we'd figure out some way to defeat him. _Huh? This magical energy? I've felt it before. _

I suddenly understood and smiled despite the situation. Of course _he_ was still around. With the three of us, there was more of a chance. Hopefully…

* * *

**Meanwhile, back at the Kardia Cathedral**

"That's about enough, Laxus!" Natsu shouted over the rising noise. "Fairy Tail will never be yours now."

"Yes, it will…" Laxus's voice had gone from brooding to downright ominous. "Trying to force a bargain was pointless…" The aura around his form bristled considerably. "I should have relied on my own power from the start!" The aura burst forward, shaking the ground and sending the wind into frenzy. "This overwhelming power is my very identity!"

Natsu was all business. "So when I beat that power, you'll finally give in, Laxus?!" His flames made themselves known and the battle began. "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"

He lunged and punched square in his head. But the punch did no damage. Laxus says, "You'll be first!" Thrusting an arm out, he punches Natsu and sends him flying. "Bring it on, Fairy Tail! I'll devour you all!"

Natsu attacks in retaliation but his attack is cut short when Laxus punches him in the gut with a Lightning Fist and then kneed him into the ground. Not even giving him a chance to strike back, Laxus sent a wave of energy Natsu's way, one no one would be able to dodge. Soon, Natsu was unable to get up.

"Resound, my summoned thunder's boom… Fall from the heavens and turn all to ashes! Raging Bolt!" A ball of Lightning Magic dropped down, destroying everything within the area. When the smoke cleared, nothing was in its place.

"Natsu! Who was the strongest in the guild again?" Laughing, Laxus knew that this fight had ended, with him as the victor. "Oh, I'm sorry. You can't answer because you've been turned to dust!"

"Weren't you his ally?" A new voice called out to Laxus. Laxus looked up in obvious surprise to see Gajeel hanging off the second level balcony, with Natsu in hand. "Something's wrong with you if you're happy he's wiped out." Gajeel stated. "Although he ain't been. Getting rid of him is my role."

Jumping down from the balcony to face Laxus, Laxus smiled. "Another snack has shown up." Gajeel proceeds to drop Natsu whilst Laxus laughs off his mistake by saying he had new prey, screaming that all those who stand before him will be reduced to nothing. Natsu struggled to stand.

"I'll handle Laxus. Stay back," he warned.

Gajeel wouldn't back down. "I've got a personal grudge with him. His monstrous strength is the real deal though. He's got Makarov's blood running in him." Natsu deigned to get a hit at that moment.

"I don't like it, but we've got no choice. We'll fight together!" Gajeel finished. Of course Natsu was sorely against the idea.

"You're joking, right? I'm gonna defeat Laxus. I mean, how could I ever team up with you?!"

Gajeel stayed focused on his target. "Take a look. Is _that,_" he said, gesturing to the man across from them, "the Laxus you know?"

Natsu's face was pained as he realized that Gajeel was right. This was not the Laxus he knew. He was further crushed as Gajeel continued. "That's an enemy of the guild. We have to stop him here to protect the guild. The rest of them are down for the count after the counterattack from the Thunder Palace," Gajeel reasoned, completely unaware of the fact that Emiren was making his way to the cathedral as they spoke. "Do you realize what will happen if we don't stop him here?"

Natsu didn't want to believe it and so he asked Gajeel a fair question. "_You're_ gonna protect the guild?"

Gajeel lost his cool. "Whether I protect the guild or destroy the guild, it's my choice!"

Natsu smirked. "Didn't you say that there wasn't enough room in the sky for two dragons?"

Gajeel smiled evilly. "There isn't. But with all of this annoying lightning, you can't fly in the sky."

"I'm only teaming up this once, Gajeel!"

"You got that right! We'll settle things one day! But for now…"

"Let's do it!" Natsu and Gajeel replied in unison.

The two charged forward and the battle resumed. Both Dragon Slayers attempt to strike Laxus but he only evades their attacks, striking back at Natsu with his own lightning. Gajeel stopped him from face-planting and said, in no particular terms, "Use your breath!"

Natsu understood, and does so to power up Gajeel's next attack. "Pillar of the Iron Dragon!" His left arm extended until it was a ten foot long pole. Wrapped in Natsu's flames, it shot towards Laxus, only to hit the ground where he once stood, as he had jumped up and away from the damage.

Gajeel, not missing a beat, retaliated with, "Sword of the Iron Dragon!" and his foot changed into the blade. He attempted to hit Laxus once more but, in response, Laxus shoots balls of lightning at Gajeel, who is eventually hit by the attack. As the lightning balls converged on Gajeel once again, a voice shouted out, "CONTAIN!"

At once, the balls flew by their target, missing him by inches and crystallized in the form of a small Lacrima crystal held by someone at the entrance. Gajeel was surprised, not only because of the failed attack but also because he knew the person who had stopped the attack.

"Emiren?"

* * *

**Emiren**

"Emiren?" Gajeel's surprised expression might have been funny under circumstances. But I had no time to think about it. "Don't take your eyes off of him. Natsu, now!"

While Laxus is still suspended in air, Natsu appeared behind him and shouted, "Brilliant Blaze of the Fire Dragon!" The flames smothered Laxus, landing a direct hit. Using the opportunity Gajeel assisted by casting, "Spears of the Iron Dragon! Demon Poles!" Multiple shining needles of light shot towards Laxus, also landing direct hits.

"Together, you two!" I shouted, unsure why. In fact, I was unsure as to why I was even here. Besides helping them dodge attacks, there wasn't much use of me being here. But I didn't have time to dwell.

Natsu's mouth filled up. "Roar of the Fire…"

At the same moment, Gajeel's mouth also grew in size. "Roar of the Iron…"

"Dragon!" They shouted in sync and let loose their own respective powers. The torrent of their roars mixed sparked an explosion that drew the color from the world. All I could see was white and that image alone was too much for my mind to bear.

Finally, the light dulled enough to see the two of them overlooking the damage. "Nice job, you guys!" I made my way towards them.

"Emiren! How… what happened to the others?" Natsu asked once we were face-to-face. I relieved him of his worry. "They're all fine. Erza's outside resting after the shock she took. Everyone else is gathering their strength as well. We've got ten minutes at the most before they're all up and ready to go."

"Never mind that," Gajeel said, interrupting me. "You shouldn't be here, brat."

I snorted in mock anger. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about me. My, my, how would that affect your image?"

Gajeel huffed. "Get off your high horse. As long as you're here, you'll only get in my way."

Natsu replied. "I'm not agreeing but its not safe here for you."

I smiled wanly. "Thanks for your consideration, Natsu, but I'm fine. Against my better judgment, it seems that I'm needed here for some sort of task. Not sure what though."

Admitting my uneasiness about this whole situation wasn't easy but at this point, lying wasn't going to get me anywhere. Besides, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

"That's the power of the two of you working together?" The voice growled out and I was one move away from cursing. _He's still fine? How?_

The whites of his eyes had taken over as he continued. "I'm shocked you can call yourselves Dragon Slayers."

Natsu didn't understand it. "Didn't we damage him at all?"

Gajeel couldn't believe it. "Impossible! No matter how strong he is, after being hit with all that Dragon Slayer magic… it doesn't make sense."

Laxus smugly answered, "Well, it's simple really. I hated the old man's lectures so I kept it a secret. But, I'll show you something special." He smiled and I watched as his teeth sharpened and elongated. His body, arms, and chest grew, expanding greatly and ripping through his nice purple dress shirt until Laxus was not just a muscular guy but a ripped, power-crazy muscular guy. Natsu and Gajeel could only stare in wonder.

"No way…" Natsu was shocked.

"You've got to be kidding!" Gajeel exclaimed. Meanwhile, my Trace magic had gone off, alerting me to an attack.

"ROAR OF THE…" Placing the Lacrima Orb in front of me, I had just enough time to cast the Counter spell on myself before… "THUNDER DRAGON!"

The spell swallowed up the three of us and I watched as the world went blurry. Color changed here and there and though Laxus had just thrown a powerful attack at us, all I could feel was numb as my own raw power protected me from the blast.

When the smoke cleared, I was horrified to realize I was the only one still standing from Laxus's attack. Both Natsu and Gajeel were face down on the ground, shocked and paralyzed. Meanwhile, besides a few scratches here and there, I was perfectly fine.

"Guys!" I checked over their wounds but didn't dare touch them. My Counter spell would probably shock them more and we didn't need that now. Nor did I need to know that I was the final person who could stop him.

"Oh? Still alive?" Laxus was disappointed. "Just stay down already."

I already knew that Natsu and Gajeel weren't the type to just lie down and die. They'd get back up and keep fighting even if it killed them. It wouldn't matter if they were dying from blood loss or lost a limb. They wouldn't give up.

"You three, Erza, Mystogan, the old man, the trash in the guild, all the people of Magnolia… I'll make them all disappear!" Laxus began to glow like a star that had fallen from the heavens. I was stuck, fixated on the spectacle.

I was sure he was insane before but this cinches it. He is completely and totally off his rocker.

"What's with this crazy magical power?" Gajeel snarled. He took a look at the spell and was frozen in frustration. "It targets everything the caster sees as an enemy… Master Makarov's Ultimate Spell of Judgment! Fairy Law!"

Laxus, done charging his energy, concurred with him. "That's right! Fairy Law!"

Gajeel was still babbling away, but as this point I couldn't blame him. This was a pretty big spell. Bigger even than Abyss Break. Could I maybe stop it? Did I have that sort of strength? Already, I knew the answer to that one. Abyss Break was one thing but Fairy Law was on a completely different level. Even if I tried protecting the others, the best I would be able to do is protect the two of them. Good? Not really because who would protect the rest of Magnolia?

Natsu shouted at Laxus to stop but he was too far beyond himself to hear. He no longer seemed human.

"Stop it, Laxus!"

A new voice added to the others and I wasn't yet prepared to hear this one.

"Levy!" Natsu cried out while Gajeel shook his head in disgust or rather concern. "You idiot! Why are you here?"

Levy refused to answer, instead turning her attention on Laxus, who was just about ready to wipe us all off the face of Earth Land. "Laxus! The master is… the master… your grandfather is on Death's door!"

Laxus froze and I could swear that recognition flared in his eyes.

"So, please," Levy continued, "stop this! Come see him! Laxus!"

Natsu looked grim. "Gramps is dying?"

Laxus's look was still haunted and I briefly wondered if those had been the magic words to stop all of this madness. Inside, I was having my own mini-breakdown. My fists clenched and unclenched in rapid repetition. Tears formed but I refused to let them fall. The master had been pretty tough. How could he be dying now? What did that mean for the future of Fairy Tail?

"Perfect timing." I drew in a slow breath as I watched Laxus smiled, the Fairy Law spell sitting contently between his fingertips. "Now my chance of becoming master just went back up!" He laughed and laughed and laughed and finally my tears glided down my cheeks. No way in hell was it going to end like this.

I rose to my feet. "Laxus! I won't allow you to take their lives to fuel your own greedy ambitions." Around me, the Counter magic began to swell, expanding outward. I had done this once before and had barely survived that first encounter. This time, I wasn't expecting to make it out. At least not alive. Soon, I was finished and the others realized what I had created. A sphere that wrapped around both Laxus and me, separating us from the rest of the world.

"Emiren! What…" Natsu yelled out but I cut him off. "Natsu, Gajeel, Levy, no matter what happens to me… you have to defeat Laxus and protect Magnolia!"

Levy's eyes were overflowing as the tears painted her cheeks. I smiled sadly. "Levy, you said it before. If I went up against Laxus… he'd destroy me. And all along I knew that you were right."

"Emiren," Levy's voice broke.

"But… on my first day, I made a promise. No matter what happens, I promised to protect you all. If that means that I have to give up my life to do so, I'll gladly make that sacrifice!" I couldn't stop the tears that ran down my face. I knew that when I had made that promise, it was under the intention that I would survive along with them. But, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that I was only kidding myself. I couldn't protect them all and keep myself safe. Soon, it would boil down to those two choices and I would have to choose. And I already knew what I'd choose.

"DISAPPEAR, FAIRY TAIL! I'll build it up again from scratch! It won't lose to anyone! Everyone will cower in fear before my ultimate guild!" Laxus's light grew stronger and the world began to fade out.

I stood in my defensive position, placing my hands out in front of me for a final time. **"My friend's lives are not yours to do with as you please!"**

"Fairy Law is invoked!"

The light grew too bright but my power never wavered. If I was to stop this, I couldn't hesitate. Natsu was yelling out me from outside the barrier and Levy was crying. Gajeel was resigned and stared out at me with a slight look of awe. Probably wondering where the helpless brat went.

I smiled at the change. _Thank you, everyone! I used to be afraid of what the future held. I didn't think I could ever find the answers I was looking for. And truthfully, I never found them at all._ My smile grew even as the light enveloped me. _But I did find another thing. A family that I care for and a town I could protect. Now, I'm content. Sacrifice myself and my family will live. It's that simple. Defeat him for me, Natsu, Gajeel. End this fight and make sure something like this never happens again._

At my final words, the light swallowed me fully. And though the power was meant to kill, I felt nothing but intense warmth. I thought_, Huh, so this is what it feels like to die._ And then I stopped thinking at all.

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**A/N: I'm being totally honest here when I say that this chapter was meant to be longer. I had planned for the guild's convergence, Emiren's sacrifice, Laxus's defeat, and the Fantasia Parade to all be part of the same chapter and in doing so, I would have been cutting the two episodes short. But, I've started to realize that I have to show the important points of the Fairy Tail anime, even if I personally didn't enjoy all of them. Plus, trying to put two chapters together is way too much work with school right around the corner. To make matters worse, I'm just about finished with the filler episode that I will publish after next week's stunning conclusion. So, i guess we'll cross that bridge when I get to it.**

**Also, I hope you all have noticed that the sacrifice Emiren makes at the end is the same as the one he made at the beginning. But this one has a bit of a twist to it. See if you can find out what the difference is!**

**Oh, before i forget, another shoutout to Jp3711nc1, who has graciously gifted me with yet another OC. Due to his late arrival, it will probably take some time before I'm ready to put him into a story. In accordance to this, I'll have to close the OC submission due to the fact that right now, I have plenty to keep the story moving. Plus, soon, you will be introduced to Persephone, a mage that I have big plans for. So, two more updates to go!**

**ArthurDragonpen signing off!**


	10. Chapter 9: Fantasia

**Chapter 9: Fantasia**

**Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail. I only own Emiren and a few other OC's who will make an appearance in this chapter later.**

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**A/N: This is probably a lot earlier than you expected it to be out. But at this point, I'm just happy that my profile is working. For the past three days, I haven't been able to open the Manage Stories folder, which was really getting on my nerves. So now that it's working again, I will not waste time. So without further ado, please enjoy Chapter 9 and stay tuned for the news at the end of the chapter.**

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"I've finally surpassed you, old man!" Laxus's voice called out to me, shaking me awake. I coughed once twice, trying to discern what had just happened. There was a flash of light and then… my eyes flew open and I looked around for the others. _Were they alright? Or had I failed?_ The smoke was still abundant in the area so seeing through it all was difficult. Hold on, I was still alive. That wasn't supposed to happen. As I contemplated that thought, a horrible feeling came over me. Had the spell I cast done the opposite: Killed everyone who happened to be outside of the sphere?

"Cough! Cough!"

The smoke cleared away and I was able to see Natsu and Gajeel on the floor… _exactly where I left them. _Levy had wandered her way to the edge of a column and now sat slumped right next to it.

"B-But… Why? Why wasn't any one of you killed?" I turned to see Laxus as surprised as I was. He looked over each of us, searching for a sign saying that Fairy Law had done its work. But as far as I knew, Fairy Law hadn't worked and now all I wondered is why.

Backing away from Laxus, I went to Levy's side and helped her up. From the place where Gajeel crouched, he asked her, "You okay?"

Levy nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about Natsu?"

I turned my attention to the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. His injuries were severe but he was still ready for a fight. And if his expression was anything to go on, he was majorly pissed. Gajeel muttered under his breath, "Looks fine to me."

"After using all of that magical power…" Laxus was at a loss for words. Heck, so was I.

"All the members of the guild and the people of the city are safe as well." A voice caught my attention and I looked to see a green haired man standing in the church's entrance. Hold on, I recognized that unruly mane…

"Freed…" Laxus whispered.

Freed was holding himself upright. "Not a single person has been killed."

"That shouldn't be! My Fairy Law was perfect!" Laxus couldn't believe the words coming out of Freed's mouth so Freed rushed to elaborate. "It was your heart, Laxus. You inherited more than just the master's strength and magical power. You were also given a heart that feels for your friends. Fairy Law only affects those the caster sees as an enemy. You understand what this means, right Laxus?"

I think I was starting to understand the notion. Levy thought it through. "The feelings he has deep down are revealed through his magic."

Freed was smiling as he delivered the news. "Magic never lies, Laxus. This is how you really feel."

Laxus couldn't wrap his mind around that statement. "No! Everyone who gets in my way is my enemy."

Freed was exhausted. "Just quit this already, Laxus," He made his way forward. "Go to the master."

Laxus was beyond listening as he entered Dragon Force once more. "Who gives a crap about that old man? I am me! Not just some old man's 'grandson'. I'm Laxus!" Lightning bolts filled the room, striking out at random. Placing myself in between Laxus and Freed, I countered all the bolts that came our way. My eyes were starting to burn with rage. With as much control as I could muster, I shouted out, "So at last we come to the root of the problem. And it's an insecurity complex?"

I was seriously pissed. He did all this just to prove that he was his own person. What a dick. Misguided, yes, but still a dick.

"Everyone knows that…" Natsu said, his quiet voice somehow echoing over the roar of the electricity. "Don't get so puffed up, you jerk! Does being Gramps' grandson make you so different from the rest of us?! Quit screaming about blood relatives!" Natsu was enraged now. "Everybody in the guild is in the same family!" His flames were responding to his mood: explosive.

Laxus wasn't convinced. "And what the hell do you know?"

Natsu wasn't backing down. "So I don't know! Aren't we guild mates anyway? None of us know! That's why we help each other out!" Raising a fist, his flames grew in size until a figure with claws and wings appeared within them. I gasped. _Dragon!_ Just as suddenly as it happened, it disappeared and all I could see was the point where Natsu and Laxus connected.

The force of the attack blew a hole through the roof of the cathedral. Noting the red and yellow streaks in the sky, I knew that this battle was out of my hands. No matter what happens now, we have to leave it all up to Natsu.

* * *

**Above Kardia Cathedral**

"Disappear off the face of the planet!" Laxus yelled, tired of the fire mage's inability to give up.

"I'll be the one to stop you!" Natsu shouted back, aiming a well-placed kick in his stomach. "Even if the guild dies, it'll never be yours. Because… it's our home to return to!"

Unfortunately, Laxus's fist connects with Natsu and sends him flying backwards into the roof of the church.

From down below, Gajeel, Levy, Freed, and Emiren look on with a weird mix of awe and unease, knowing that this could only end two ways and as of now, it didn't look like it would be in Natsu's favor.

"Can't you even die right?" Laxus shouts out. His attacks destroys an entire tower with Natsu still inside. Digging through the wreckage, he pulled Natsu from the rubble before sending him flying again. Laxus was beside himself with anger. "Did you honestly think you could beat me?

Natsu struggled to stand. "The guild isn't yours." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just think about it, Laxus."

"Shut up!" Laxus had had enough of Natsu's reasoning. Wrapping his fist in lightning, he yelled, "Breakdown Fist of the Thunder Dragon!" A lightning fist was fired at Natsu, one he couldn't dodge. An explosion ensued and when all was done, he found Natsu face down on the roof. But, Laxus was not quite finished.

Power hugged his body as he looked to the downed Fire mage. "It's a hundred years too early for you to be preaching to me, pipsqueak."

Slam! went Natsu's fist against the roof. He rose to his feet, losing balance for a couple of seconds before righting himself. His persistence wouldn't allow him to lose.

"You damned brat!" Laxus, having reached his boiling point, starts to accumulate lightning in his hands. Raising his hands towards the sky, he yelled, "I'll make sure there's not even a trace left."

"Stop it, Laxus!" Freed's voice drifted to them from down below. "If you use that magic while Natsu is like this…"

Laxus ignored him and with a twisted smiled, he casts, "Halberd of the Thunder Dragon!" He let loose a powerful torrent of Thunder magic and everyone could only watch while the distance between the attack and its target lessened and Natsu bowed his head in acceptance of his defeat at the hands of the spell.

It was a mere inches away when, at the last second, the spell changed course, redirecting itself to the left of Natsu's position. Natsu turned to see Gajeel who, by utilizing his metal arm, had effectively turned himself into a living lightning rod. The force of the spell pushed him off the roof and as he fell, a weakened Gajeel told Natsu, "Go!"

When he hit the ground, Emiren had rushed to his side, using his remaining energy to draw out the residual effects of the last attack. In a fit of rage, Natsu burst into flames. Snapping out of his depressed state, he charged towards Laxus. "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" He landed a direct hit in Laxus's stomach, one that Laxus wasn't prepared for.

Natsu quickly followed with one attack after another. "Talons! Wing Slash! Sword Edge! Flaming Elbow!" It kept on for a while, with Natsu releasing all the magic he had left. Because he'd be damned if he let Laxus win.

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**Emiren**

After I got rid of the residual effects of that last attack, red flames lit up the sky. Up on the rooftop, Natsu was attacking Laxus like there was no tomorrow and you wouldn't believe how awesome he looked.

Levy was just as impressed. "That magic will shatter a dragon's scales, crush its innards, and cut down its very soul."

Freed somewhat looked afraid as we looked on. "True dragon-killing attacks…" He voice trailed off. In awe or fear, I wouldn't know.

Natsu was done. He was done with Laxus's screwed point of view, he was done with him hurting his friends, and he was done with this battle. With his last ounces of strength, Natsu wraps his hands in flames and whirls around as he shouts, "Dragon Slayer's Secret Act: Crimson Lotus! Exploding Flame Blade!" The attack barrages Laxus with a torrent of flame that sends Laxus reeling back. Landing on the roof, Laxus was silent. I didn't dare to hope. But it was. For the first time in a while, a smile graced my face as I realized it. _Natsu! You did it! Laxus has been defeated!_

* * *

Erza turned to face the guild and we all waited anxiously. Finally, she said, "Thanks to Poluchka, it seems the master's life has been saved for now. Worry not, the master is safe."

I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until I released it. All around us, cheers erupted as the guild celebrated not just our victory but also Master Makarov's safe recovery. I took a seat next to Gray and Lucy, careful not to disturb anybody. But, if I did, they didn't mind.

Lucy sighed, her hand over her heart. "Thank goodness! I didn't know what was going to happen for a while there."

Gray was all confidence. "That old man isn't going to kick the bucket so easily!"

Erza made her way to our table. "Maybe, but the master is quite old. Stressing his heart more will only make his health worse." She gestured to the entire guild. "Please don't forget that, everyone!"

"Aye, sir!" I found it weird that we were all using Happy's catchphrase but for once, I didn't question it. It was probably one of that heat of the moment things. By next week, it will all have been forgotten.

"Are we really doing the Fantasia under these conditions?" Lucy's next question had me thinking about it. With all of the craziness that had gone on today, what with the girl's imprisonment, Mystogan's revealed identity, and the near death of everyone in the guild… uh, scratch that… everyone in the entire town, the Fantasia parade was basically the last thing on my mind. But with all we went through, it wouldn't hurt to get some semblance back into our lives.

Mirajane walked into the conversation. "It's what the master wants. It's precisely at times like this that we should do it."

Apparently, Juvia was thinking along the same lines. She clapped her hands together in anticipation. "Juvia is also looking forward to seeing the Fantasia."

She still doesn't know. Deciding it was time for me to loosen up a bit, I said teasingly, "You do realize you're participating, right?"

Juvia easy smile paled as we all gave her a hard time about it. I laughed. Lucy was also surprised but instead of getting embarrassed, she just directed her questions to the rest of us. "So that means I'm participating too, right?"

Gray nodded. "Since we've got a lot of injured people, everyone who can still move has to participate."

I added, "And when you look at the collateral damage that was caused to some of our more prominent mages, the rule makes a lot of sense."

As one, we turned to see Natsu and Gajeel, sitting in the corner, nursing their wounds. Because of their many injuries, they had been bandaged all over. Gajeel had bandages that covered his face and most of his chest. Natsu was wrapped from head to toe with bandages. There were even a few covering his mouth so that whenever he said something, it came out as a few muffled grunts that Gajeel, for some obscure reason, somehow understood.

"Excuse me, you're Emiren… right?"

I looked up to see a young man my age. He was stocky with a slight build but not too buff. His light blonde hair extended past his shoulders and his blue eyes demanded attention, glowing like two pearls from the sea. I'll be honest. When I got the first glimpse, I was so sure he was a girl but I shouldn't judge a person by their hair length. I mean, look at Freed. His hair was so long; my first thought was that he had gotten extensions. The same goes for Gajeel. Moving on… my eyes widened as I recognized the guy in front of me.

"You're the one who…"

"Attacked you during the game," he finished, his head bowed in shame. " My name is Caiden Kuroki and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you. I mean, you didn't even know the rules and I dragged you into a battle you had no knowledge of. So…" His voice grew quiet. "Please forgive me."

I didn't know what to say. I hadn't expected to see him so suddenly and though I was very forgiving, that didn't stop me from holding a grudge every now and then. But after remembering all the hardships we suffered today, I knew I didn't have it in me to stay angry at him. "Apology accepted." I said, watching as the radiant blue of his eyes lit up. He smiled and I smiled back. This looks to me like the start of a beautiful friendship.

Caiden froze, his eyes glued to the door. Frowning, I turned to see him.

Laxus stopped in the entrance of the guild. The festivities ceased and everyone looked riled up and poised to strike. Meanwhile, my power was reacting to his Thunder magic and the fact that he still had some scared me greatly. And yet… he wasn't trying to attack us.

Laxus walked up to Erza. "Where's the old man?"

I'm not sure what the others were thinking but it probably wasn't good. Some of them rose from their chairs, watching Laxus's every movement while others, like Droy and Jet, walked up to him head-on.

Jet was outraged. "How dare you!"

Droy was equally pissed. "No matter how much you hang your head, you think we'll let you see the master?" The crowd around them churned in anger, other voices agreeing with Droy's words. If we allowed it, this would soon get out of hand.

"Cease this!" The noise in the hall dimmed until only Erza's words could be heard. She locked eyes with Laxus. "He's in the infirmary."

Laxus made his way there only to stop in surprise when a brave yet dumb soul stopped him in his tracks. Natsu stood there injuries and all, telling off Laxus. It was so cool… or at least it would have been if we could understand him. Seems like those bandages are doing their job.

Quickly, we all turned to Gajeel to interpret the words. He sighed and started from the top. "This time was two against one, so I ain't satisfied. I'm not going to lose next time. I'll fight you whenever, Laxus! He said," Gajeel finished.

Lucy frowned. "I thought he won?"

I remembered the battle again and knew what Gajeel meant. "Calling that winning is a bit of a stretch." I said, shivering slightly from the memory.

Gajeel agreed. "He's a monster. Ever since I was in the war with Phantom, it gives me the chills."

Laxus walked past Natsu without a second thought, which Natsu didn't take so kindly to. But as he walked off, Laxus held up his hand in passing and I saw the anger leave Natsu's face to be replaced with renewed respect. I was starting to learn more and more about families. No matter what spats we went through, we were always there for one another. We stick up for our own and if one of us is misguided, we lead them back to the right path. Every family has at least one black sheep.

I started picturing sheep jumping over a fence so that was when I knew I needed some fresh air. Erza announced that it was time to set up for the Fantasia Parade and everyone rushed from the guild hall. After a moment's hesitation, I followed, ecstatic and happy for the first time in forever.

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Later that afternoon, I found myself heading towards the park. I didn't know why but there was something about the place that was almost… magnetic. No matter what I wanted, I couldn't ignore it even if I tried. It was an impulse and after the battle, I started trusting my impulses more and more. It felt like they were trying to tell me something important but I hadn't improved enough to actually know what that meant. It was just a journey I needed to go on, I suppose.

"You've got to be kidding me! Why are you the only one that's expelled?" I looked up at that last word. Expelled? More importantly, that sounded like Evergreen. Picking up the pace, I found myself on the top steps overlooking the scene: Laxus telling the Thunder Tribe that he was expelled. Bickslow and Evergreen couldn't believe it but Freed was strangely quiet.

My instincts had led me here but I knew I shouldn't interfere. We didn't know each other well enough for that. Still, as I looked at Laxus's retreating form and the remaining members of the Thunder Tribe in tears, I was certain. _Despite what happens in the future, I look forward to seeing you again, Laxus. Hopefully next time as friends._

I gave them one last glance before I headed back to the guild to prepare for the parade.

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If you haven't been to the Fantasia parade even once, I pity you. It was possibly the most awesome thing I'd ever done in my life. Fireworks of all shades and colors lit the sky, painting it rainbow. The crowd was pumped, the majority wearing goofy hats or colorful face paint. Many lavish floats made their way down the streets and each was impressive in its own way. Some of the mages were performing their own tricks. I saw Cana shooting down heart shapes in the sky with her cards. Droy and Jet were their usual funny selves, with Jet taking the form of a caterpillar and Droy wearing a masterful array of plants with pumpkin pants that I'd kill for. On the float right behind that, Lucy, Levy, and Bisca were performing a dance with ceremonial flags. The crowd went wild for them.

My favorite float happened to be the one I was on. There I was, dressed in warrior garb. The whole metal armor and sword get-up. I was the handsome prince sent to fight and defeat the mighty beast (Elfman) in order to save the lovely maiden Mirajane from her tower. I had to admit, it was almost fun being attacked repeatedly by Elfman. Every time he threw a punch, I caught it with the Counter spell and sent it right back. Plus, I had a sword. Plastic but I digress.

Right after our float came the Ice Palace with its water garden. Gray and Juvia made up the only inhabitants of that float and it was quite the spectacle to behold. I think one of the cooler floats was the one that Erza occupied. Swords surrounded her form. She wore armor of a golden red color. I wondered exactly what type of armor it was but I also wondered if it was just for show.

Not everyone made it onto me list of favorite floats and float members but I have to give a shout-out to Laki. I want that magic rocking horse. I want it now.

The hairs on the back of my neck tingled as my magic got a whiff of a familiar power close by. I smiled. So Laxus stopped by before he said goodbye. Getting back into character, I slashed at the beast, avoiding his blows while miraculously making it seem like I actually knew what I was doing.

It was time for the sign. Raising my right hand, I held up my ring finger and my thumb, watching as the others did the same. We all smiled. We were Fairy Tail mages. Things would get rough. We'd have our bad days and fighting amongst ourselves would be a given. But, we were a family. We all knew that. Watching out for one another was our job as guild mates. The tingling on my neck slowly went away and I knew he was gone. I made a promise then. "We may not really know each other, Laxus, but no matter what happens, Magnolia is still your home and the guild is still your family. Don't forget: you're one of us." I sent the silent prayer his way, hoping it would protect him in the days to come.

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**A/N: Hey, people, what goes on? ArthurDragonpen with the lastest in my life. Due to bad weather, school was canceled, allowing me the time I needed to write and upload this chapter. Three cheers for nature! In other news, we have reached the end of Emiren's personal journey. Now that we have established his personality and goals, it it time to see what else he can get in trouble with. In other words, due to popular demand by my more or less small fanbase, I will be continuing Emiren's story all the way to Edolas like I had originally planned.**

**Plus, in the next couple of days or so, I will have finished Chapter 10 and will put that up. It will explain a couple of things about the character while also progressing the plot of the story. A word of warning: The last time I checked the word count, the chapter was at at eight thousand words. So, by the end of it, it should at least reach ten thousand. **

**Finally, which one: ice or steel? I'm calling on you to help me figure out this predicament. I'll be frank; no matter which one you choose, it won't have any effect on the story until Edolas so you've basically got time. And that's everything for now. Please review, follow, or favorite if you like the story.**

**ArthurDragonpen signing off.**


	11. Chapter 10: Another Day

**Fairy Tail: Another Day**

**Disclaimer: ArthurDragonpen does not own Fairy Tail. He does, however, own almost every other person mentioned in this chapter, give or take a few people. Action!**

**A/N: Warning! This chapter is my creation. Despite the story coming from my own mind, it takes place between the Battle of Fairy Tail and Oracion Seis arcs. I urge you to read all nine thousand words of it. Otherwise, the next couple of chapters won't make much sense and you'll have to come back and read it anyway. So, save yourself the time! And enjoy the show!**

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Erza had re-equipped into her Lightning Empress Armor. Without breaking a sweat, she threw multiple bolts of lightning my way. The previous times she had done so, I hadn't even had time to put up my hands in defense. But, this time I was ready. Raising my hands, I yelled, "Contain!"

The lightning rested in my palm comfortably before morphing into its regular crystal Lacrima state. I danced away from Erza's slashes, as I figured out what to do. A crowd had begun to form and all bets were placed on Erza (no shocker there). So far, there hasn't been one person who could beat her in a fight. I had heard that Natsu challenged her to fights on a regular but ended up getting pummeled every time. Hopefully, that wouldn't happen to me.

**_Slash!_** Hearing the attack midway, I used my Counter spell as a shield to deflect the blow that would have chopped off my head. Erza smiled before bearing down on me. "Never take your eyes off of your opponent!" she reminded me. "Keep your thoughts on the battle. If what you're thinking about won't help you win, save it for later."

I reached the edge of the crowd and the yelling was starting to get to me. They obviously wanted her to kill me and they were hoping it would happen soon. Meanwhile, I was drenched in sweat, scratched in multiple areas and reaching my breaking point. _Just hold out until then, Counter Mage. C'mon, you've been through worse._

I decided not to ask myself how I had known I'd been through worse because as far as I knew, all of my childhood memories, from the age of ten down, had been erased. Unfortunately, the only things I remembered was that my name was Emiren, I was fourteen years old, I was the world's only Counter Mage, and I somehow had a history with an ex-Council member of Era (whose name I will not mention or bring up in conversations due to practical reasons).

And now I was a mage in the guild Fairy Tail and together with my new friends, they were going to help me solve the mystery of my past. As I tuned back into the battle, I noticed that Erza had quickly changed into her Black Wing Armor. _She must want to end this pretty quickly. _

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a Lightning Lacrima that I had acquired during the Battle of Fairy Tail. Maybe, using one of my abilities, I could somehow tap into its power and use it against her. She wasn't wearing her Lightning Empress Armor anymore so it was certainly possible. Now how do I go about it?

I tried for a taunt. "Wow, Erza, I didn't think it would take you this long to beat me. I bet you don't even have the speed to cut this stone." I held up the Lacrima for a quick second before chucking it her way. She didn't lose her cool as she slashed at the stone; I wasn't really expecting her to get angry at the comment but she had taken the bait. As her sword pierced the Lacrima's shell, Lightning power came out in rushed golden thunderbolts, stopping the attack midway and even pushing Erza back for a while. The crowd grew still as they watched Erza struggle against this new attack. My first attack but still. They must have realized that I might actually have the chance to win but only if she doesn't...

"Re-equip!" Erza changed into her Lightning Empress Armor. I sighed. _Only if she doesn't do exactly that._

With a sweep of her stave, she brushed the remaining lightning aside, settling on sending a bolt of lightning that threw me to the ground. By the time I was able to stand back up, Erza had the tip of her spear pointing at my neck. "This battle is over." I gave her a nervous chuckle. No argument here. She nodded once and changed back to her regular suit of armor. With the battle won in Erza's favor, the crowd dispersed. "So what was your analysis?" I asked, trying not to look too eager.

Erza studied me for a moment and smiled. "You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. What do you want to know exactly?"

I sighed. "Well, when I first asked you to assess my abilities, I was just asking so I could figure out my weaknesses and work my way around them. During the Harvest Festival, I hadn't needed to use my power against others. Or at least not often. So I figured…" I trailed off.

Erza tucked a strand of her scarlet hair behind her ear. "I see," she replied. "Well as far as weakness goes, I noticed three things. The first is as I said before: You have more power than you believe and you must learn to use it all to your advantage."

I stood quietly, thinking over her advice. Erza continued, "The second weakness lies within the magic itself. Because you hold Counter magic, magic that should only be used to defend, the opposite is true as well. The power you hold to attack others is lacking. And in some battles, if you can't attack, then you've already lost."

I swallowed. The second one seemed like it was the most important thing I needed to know but obviously Erza didn't think so. She held up three fingers to emphasize her point. "The third thing that acts as a weakness is that because Counter Magic can only send someone's power right back at them, it can't really harm them. And if you are in a one-on-one battle scenario, there would be no chance of winning against your opponent."

I slumped and plopped down on a bench. "Seriously? So basically, I learned a magic that is completely useless in a battle?"

Erza closed her eyes. "I didn't say that." I looked up at her glumly, wondering what it would be like to have her power. As she opened her eyes, they fixed me with a searching glance and I held it. After a while, she elaborated. "What I said was that as long as you use your power in this way, it will be no help in a fight. But if you were to think outside the box, as you did with the Lacrima, you'll be able to see new possibilities and use your powers in ways even you can't imagine."

"Hmmm," I considered it. Erza had already said that my trick with the Lacrima was an interesting technique but if I had messed it up or if Erza hadn't decided to cut it open, anything could have happened. But if I perfected the technique, maybe…

"Emiren!" A loud voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Caiden making his way towards Erza and I. "Hey, Emiren!"

I forced a smile upon my face. Him and his impeccable timing. "Hey, Caiden! What's up?"

Caiden was breathless for a moment. Once he was able to speak again, he said, "Emiren, I was hoping I could get your help with something!"

I immediately frowned. Usually when Caiden asked me for favors, stuff ended up destroyed completely against my will. So I was sort of reluctant to help him. Still… I sighed. "What type of help?"

* * *

"No!"

"Aw, c'mon! This is the job of a lifetime!"

"Then you go! I have no intention of leaving. I'll find my own job if I have to."

"Emiren, now all you're being is stubborn!"

"Really, I hadn't noticed. Oh, wait yes I did. I excel at being stubborn."

"Not to mention sarcastic…"

I opened my eyes and stared pointedly at my friend Caiden Kuroki. Being the major pain that he was, he was also the first person I was able to call my friend, despite our rocky start. Our friendship had rough points but we more or less got along. This just happened to be one of those moments when we weren't and I guess I had no one to blame but myself. I already knew how uncooperative I acted but to have other people mention it was just asking for trouble. I'm serious, if Caiden knows what's good for him, he'll go away.

Caiden had an exasperated look on his face, as if he hadn't realized him much of a burden being my friend would be. But, I suspect that was just the way he was. One of the easier people to get along with in the guild. Everyone had their own personalities, their own abilities and strengths. Caiden was good at being kind, thoughtful, and friendly, also having your back no matter what.

When the Battle of Fairy Tail happened and he was forced to fight his guild mates to save the others, he was torn between a rock and a hard place. I figured he was still trying to make amends. And especially to me.

"It's not that hard really. It's just a rescue mission. Honest," Caiden said.

I froze. A rescue? So far, the only thing I had ever seen on the bulletin board was things like "Fight off these thieves" or "Rid us of this infestation of evil". Things like that weren't my forte since they involved being good at attacking rather than defending, which was the only thing I used my Counter magic for. Because of that, there was never a good mission for me to go on and the reason I didn't form a group with others was because I was still getting used to things around here.

_They've all accepted you_, the voice inside my head whispered and I cringed. _But, you still can't see things the way they are._

I sighed and pushed the thoughts away. Well, you get better at being friends with someone by practicing. So, I might as well try. So with all of the nonchalance I could muster, I asked, "What type of rescue mission?"

* * *

"The rich tycoon's name is Camron Zen. He's the CEO of MagicWorks Incorporated. They make and sell the finest of all magic items and weapons in all of Fiore." Caiden explained as I read over the job post.

After telling me exactly what mission we were going on, we took the first train to Cartel's Town. During the train ride, Caiden filled me in on all the details surrounding our quest. Supposedly, Camron hadn't spent a lot of time paying attention to his daughter, Hori Zen (Hori Zen, Horizon, cute), and because of it, she was kidnapped and was now being held for ransom. Instead of paying the money that would free his daughter, he enlisted the aid of the guilds. Humph, shows how much he cares.

But, the real thing that got under my skin was the reward money. The ransom for his daughter was 30 million yen. The reward for her rescue was 60 million, which meant that not only did he not want to stoop so low as to give 30 million yen to a bunch of thieves but he also believed he's totally justified in paying off a guild double that money to rescue his daughter. Already, I didn't exactly like this dude. And if Caiden doesn't hold me back when we meet the bastard, I might seriously maim him.

As if my facial expression wasn't enough, Caiden also noticed the stormy look in my eyes. He sighed, shifting back and forth in his seat. He looked like he wanted to say something to lift my spirits but instead decided against it. Finally, he settled for staring out of the window and we stayed silent for another 30 minutes.

I pulled at the small curls in my hair and slipped into my mind to think.

"You know," Caiden said quietly, "I'm not too happy with the way that this guy thinks either. But, the way I look at it, I'm not doing this for him."

I paused to regard him thoughtfully. Caiden was looking off into the distance, his smile faint but sad. His eyes had darkened considerably and his fist seemed to clench and unclench with the passing silence. Finally, he spoke out again. "If you don't want to help me with this mission, that's fine. But, now that I've made the decision, I'm not going back on my word to save the girl. It's just… something that I have to do."

The way he said it sent chills down my spine. It felt as though this job was more personal than business. I frowned. "Hey, Caiden, are we going to save like your long-lost little sister or something like that?"

His gaze snapped to mine in bewildered shock. I opened my mouth to amend the statement when I suddenly heard a chuckle. Then, it went from a snort to a giggle to a full-on flood of laughter escaping from his mouth. I sat there, not sure what to say or do. Was this really that funny? Was he on bad terms with his family? Or was this just his reversed form of hysterics?

Once Caiden was able to speak without snorting, he gasped out, "They are not my family. I just had a similar family situation. My parents didn't do much in the way of paying attention to me either." He sobered up quickly. "I guess you could say I can relate to how she feels. That's why I need to rescue her."

I eyed him for a moment. A familiar situation, huh? Well, I already knew I'd kill to remember who my family was. But, at this point, Caiden would kill to save a girl who has gone through the same hardships as him. To ignore something like this would be cruel. I grumbled. I'll just have to deal with this bastard tycoon the hard way: Being overly nice and acting like he doesn't get on my nerves. Besides, once we rescued the man's daughter and got the reward money, I could punch him in the face and run. Problem solved.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I said enthusiastically. "We've got a princess to save from the clutches of evil."

* * *

I'm not going to lie; something wasn't right about this place. Upon entering the town, night had fallen and I felt certain energy surround me. Just from the way it felt, I knew it was magic but from what I could tell, I hadn't already come in contact with this type. Which didn't actually surprise me, once I thought about it; I'd only had this power for three years. Who knew what type of magic I would have experience in future days to come?

Uh, getting off track. A cool breeze blew through the open streets and I adjusted the sleeves of my jacket as we surveyed the town square. Stores lined the area in all different types of assortments. Sturdy lampposts were placed on street corners to offer some light. A fountain of delicate stone was placed in the center. It sprayed golden jets of liquid metal. But other than that, there was no light or sound. Nothing but cold, stiffening silence.

"Maybe, they didn't think that we'd be here so quickly," Caiden suggested. I glanced his way to express my reluctance to believe that. If you set up a job request and then leave the designated area of meeting before the guild gets here, how are they supposed to do anything? Anyway, how do you clear out an entire town? No, there was something else going on in this place. The magical fumes that my power was uncovering were starting to get on my nerves but at the same time, I was wary. What was I feeling? Why did it feel like…

"**AUGGHH!"**

"Caiden!" I shouted, moving towards the area where I heard his scream of pain. But, I couldn't see him, just vague impressions. _He must have shifted into invisibility,_ I stayed quiet, trying to listen for an impending attack.

**"SOUND FORCE!"**

A mighty crack was heard and a force as great as the sound of 50 horses surged towards me. Hoping my Counter magic knew what I wanted, I shouted, "Counter!" and was relieved to see that the blast, now fully visible, had been thrown back. As of this moment, my Counter spell was in full effect, wrapped around my body. Due to the force of the two powers connecting, the resulting force had wiped out every streetlight in the area and the world was cloaked in darkness. I calmly looked around, not straying far from the fountain, seeing as though it was my only light source. "Who are you?" I called out. "What do you want?"

…. Silence. In that case…

"I'm sure we can work out a compromise if you just stop attacking." I had no idea where Caiden was. But, then again that was his style. You wouldn't know he's there until he wanted you to know. He was probably right next to me and I'd have no clue.

"Give them back… all of them!"

I whirled to face the voice. It was masculine, no doubt about that. But not very deep. So…

"Who are you, a kid from the village?" I elaborated further.

"Why, is this the part where you try and kidnap me too?" He let out a barked laugh. "Well, sorry, but that's not happening."

Hearing the sound of thunder off to my right, I focused the entirety of my Counter Spell that way, somewhat surprised when I could see the vibrations collide with the shield. But unlike before, they were pushing me back. The last time that had happened, it was with Laxus and his spells. Was this guy as powerful as a Dragon Slayer? If so, definitely not what I signed on for.

**Boom!** Our two powers mixed to form an explosion of sound. A shrill, shrieking noise caught my attention and grew louder by the minute. I clutched my ears in pain, sinking to one knee. I tried to cry out but every extra noise just made the shrieking worse.

"You really thought you could defeat me, did you?" He chuckled. "Maybe I should hit you with another Sound Wave so you know resistance isn't a good idea."

He grabbed onto my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Any last words before I blast your eardrums with sound?"

My jaw clenched. "Yeah, I've got something to say. Counter!"

His eyes widened as the sound waves emanating from his palm were pushed back and used against him. The resulting force pushed him back into the stone of the fountain. From there, I jumped out and punched him. He fell, his head cracking on the stone of the fountain. He dropped like a sack of flour and lay face-down on the ground. _Uh-oh._

Grabbing the guy, I pulled him into a sitting position and checked him out. He had a big bump on his head but at least it wasn't bleeding. I sighed in relief. Getting up, I checked the damage. But, besides a couple of streetlights, the battle had been surprisingly tidy.

"So, you got him?" Caiden materialized right on the spot. I snorted. "No thanks to you."

"I already told you. This is the reason why you're here." Caiden reminded me.

"Good to know." I said in mock anger. "Meanwhile, you can be the leader of the Run and Hide Committee." I smirked at him and he rolled his eyes.

Finally, he looked at our captive. "So…" he asked, dragging out the 'o' sound, "what do we do now?"

I looked at these empty stores, a plan formulating in my mind. "Find something to tie him up with. Wait until he wakes up. Question him about what he knows. Save the day."

Caiden gave me a skeptical glance. "Just like that?"

I didn't answer. I already knew that just about every word I had said was part of a flawed plan. Nothing is that simple, especially for a Fairy Tail mage.

* * *

When he came to, tied to one of the lampposts, I told him, in no particular terms, that if he tried to use his magic, he'd probably hurt himself. He looked at me for a spell, tried it, and went down in a minute. Then, I calmly waited for him to come to again.

Once I was sure he wouldn't faint, we started the interrogation. But knowing any Fairy Tail mage's luck, it went a little something like this:

"What are you doing here?" I'd ask.

"What are you doing here?" He'd repeat.

I frowned. "I asked you first." To which, he replied. "Yeah? Well, I asked you second."

I sighed. Reverse logic time. "Look, we aren't here to kidnap you or whatever. We just got here. Like _literally_ just got here about an hour ago."

"Likely story," the boy huffed. He looked ready to maim us both but he held himself back and instead sat unperturbed by my bluntness. "I've got a question: why would you come here of all places? Couldn't find a casino?"

Caiden was looking at me, tight-lipped. So far, we hadn't come clean about our true status. Maybe if we did, we'd gain another ally. I nodded once and he obliged me. Leaning down, he held his hair up and out of the way before proceeding to show the kid his guild mark. "Look!"

The boy had frozen, looking back and forth between the two of us. "You've got to be kidding." This new voice was quiet, as if he were a turtle trying to retreat back into his shell. He sucked in a breath. "You're Fairy Tail mages?"

Caiden nodded, letting his long blonde hair fall flat on his shoulders. "That's right. We're here to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Hori Zen. You've heard of her, right?"

The boy sighed. "Yeah, she's the reason I'm here as well." My eyebrows raised a fraction. Okay, I'm somewhat interested now.

"What do you mean? I asked pointedly. The sooner he answered, the faster we could get on with this job.

He looked to me with something that closely resembled disgust. Or maybe it was annoyance. "Check my right sleeve."

Caiden frowned as he pulled back the sleeve, exposing his right bicep. On his skin was an outline of a horse's head, coupled with a pair of wings that accompanied the image on each side. It was painted in blue. The sign meant nothing to me but Caiden's eyes widened until they were the size of dinner plates. "You're a mage from Blue Pegasus!" He began to work at the knots of the rope we tied around him.

Meanwhile, the boy sighed. "Well, I guess this changes things. Right, well, might as well be cooperative. We are on the same side, right?"

Caiden nodded as he successfully untied the first knot and moved to the next. I drew in a long breath. "Looks like we are."

The boy turned to Caiden, deciding to ignore me outright. "My name is Abilaster Conrate and as you've already deduced, I'm a mage from Blue Pegasus, who was sent here to try and find that lost girl. Things were going smoothly for a while. It was when I met with Mr. Zen that things started going south. One second, he's explaining the situation. The next, he's gone. And so was my partner." He lowered his head.

"Hold on, you weren't alone?" I questioned. He seemed so sad about this that he hadn't even remembered to ignore me. "Hana. My friend. We had come here together. When Mr. Zen had disappeared, he was gone as well. And I have no idea where." He trailed off and sat in silence.

Caiden was lost in thought as well, trying to figure out the mystery behind our particular quest. His fingers were still working at the knots, but I could tell he wouldn't respond when confront, so I left it alone. Meanwhile, I went back to getting Abilaster to spill his guts. "What happened after?"

"I backtracked to the town to find it completely empty. Not a soul in sight. I was starting to believe I lost my mind until I found a girl. She was stunning. Afraid and murderous at the same time. For a second, she believed that I was the one who had captured everyone and she told me, if I didn't give them back, she'd beat me to death." He began to smile.

I frowned. Harsh. "And if you didn't help her? What would happen then?"

"Oh, well, she said if I helped her, she beat me to death afterwards." He sighed, somewhat giddy. "I think I might be in love…"

Uh… I don't… I can't… How can you… You know what? I'm not even going to question that… So moving on.

"Is she still with you?" I looked up, giving my attention to the surrounding area. But all was quiet. If someone was out there, it didn't sound like they were. Abilaster shook his head. "It took me a while to calm her down. But once I had, we decided to team up find everyone. She knew of a place where they might have been and was showing me the way when she noticed the two of you in the town square."

"I guess she figured that the two of you were the thieves since she didn't recognize you. I told her to find somewhere safe while I confronted you. And you know the rest."

Boy, did we ever. I bent down and helped untie the final knot. In a minute, Abilaster was up and about, stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles. Then, he fixed us with a determined look. "We have to find them. I know that you Fairy Tail types aren't much for working with other mages and most of the time, you just destroy things. But right now, I'll put aside my differences if you put aside yours." He held a hand out.

Caiden regarded him, a smile breaking out. He gripped his hand and pulled him into a hug, as if they had been longtime friends. Abilaster's cheeks turned red at the brotherly affection Caiden was showing, despite it being their first meeting. But, he held it in and turned to shake hands with me. I frowned. "Are you using your power right now?"

He raised an eyebrow when he answered. "No."

"Good thing for you." I took hold of his hand. "Because if you had, my magic would have pushed it back your way and you'd be unconscious again." Abilaster paled considerably at how nonchalant I said it before taking the lead. Caiden and I fell in step behind him and we travelled into the dark to finish this mission.

* * *

"So, tell us about Hana. He must be a pretty good friend if you wanted him to come along." Caiden asked politely after a while. I rolled my eyes at his attempt to make social.

"There's not really much to tell. He has blond hair that he keeps in a ponytail and blue eyes. He's a user of Flower Magic, one of the many plant magics. Oh, yeah, and he has Gynophobia, which is a fear of women in general, but I'd appreciate it if you don't bring it up in conversation." Abilaster made an abrupt turn to the left and we hastily followed. While he navigated, I tried to make sense of his relations. He was a member of Blue Pegasus and had a thing for overly aggressive women but for some strange obscure reason, had a best friend who was afraid of women. I've heard the phrase 'opposites attract' but _really_?

After a moment, he spoke again, all business. "Cartel's Town is a mining town. It's one of the only places where Lacrima are in abundance. The mines are huge and according to Millie's description, not all of it has been explored just yet. If someone has the power to teleport, getting people into and out of those caves probably wouldn't be that hard."

I was about to ask who Millie was but given that the nameless girl's name was the only one I didn't, I was able to dismiss that question with common sense. I had another thought forming. "Quick question: if Millie is as you say she is, she's not going to lie down and take this. She's probably going after them."

Abilaster's mood brightened. "Of course she would. But before she did, she showed me a secret passage into the mines. We had only come back to the town to gather supplies so when we split up, she went to get the supplies while I fought you two off. If she wasn't in town, the only logical explanation was that she decided to do it on her own. And… we're here."

We had reached a clearing that opened up to a dead end. Before I could ask, Abilaster moved away a couple of bushes, exposing the entrance. Together, we breached the rocks, moving deeper within the mine.

* * *

From what Abilaster had explained, this entrance was the only safe path in and out of the mine. The rest were riddled with pitfalls, cliffs, bats, and crumbling walls. As long as we stayed on the straight path, we'd reach the catacombs sooner or later. Caiden asked a question that had baffled me. "If this path leads all the way to the catacombs, how come no one knows about it? And better yet, who made it? It can't have been the kids."

"Hmmm," Abilaster gave the question some thought. "You're right about that. But, there's no point in thinking about it now. If it won't help us proceed, it's better left alone."

I remembered how Erza had said something similar earlier this morning. I guess that for mages, that was another universal saying. But, I couldn't help myself. That was something off about all this. I was starting to get the feeling that this Millie character couldn't be trusted. But, I kept my thoughts to myself as we made our way deeper. Once it had gotten too dark to see, I started to see a light up ahead. It glowed a faintish blue and felt like magic. Which had to mean… I put a finger to my lips, motioning to an outcropping of rocks further away. As one, we sneaked to that spot and took a look around. I wasn't at all surprised to see people of all ages working on all the mines. Some people were picking the Lacrima while others hammered away at the rocks. The expressions on their faces were blank, as if they had lost all hope a long time ago. But, that didn't make sense. They'd only been here for a couple of hours.

The frown lines on Caiden's face increased. "Mind control."

I nodded. "Looks like it."

Beside me, Abilaster drew in a sharp intake of breath. He turned to me. "I can see Hana. If we can get to him, he can help us."

"Alright," I said, "but who's going to help him?"

"Huh?"

I sighed. "If you hadn't noticed, your friend seems particularly… brain-sucked at the moment. Won't be much help in a fight."

"If we can get him away, maybe…"

I shot down whatever idea he might have come up with. "I know you want to help your friend. But, it's not the time."

Abilaster seemed ready to hiss in outrage but Caiden beat him to the punch. He calmly suggested. "Here's an idea: what about we take out the mages doing this first? That way, we can free everyone in one blow. From there, Hana and I can lead everyone out and the two of you can make sure they're all safe."

Abilaster considered this option. Finally, he sighed, "I have nothing against the idea. But, how are we going to pull this off?"

Caiden gave us his 'Man with the Plan' smile before whispering, "Huddle up and find out."

Part of Caiden's allure – besides his compassion for others and helpfulness – came from his ability to strategize under pressure, suiting our abilities to his needs within the plan. About a minute later, we were suited up to take down a couple of dark mages. Caiden looked back at the two of us. "Now, remember: my spell will only protect you if you stay close. If you stray far from me, they'll see you."

Abilaster and I nodded in unison. Caiden closed his eyes and concentrated. Then with a slow breathe, he said, "Faulty Vision," and a cloud of colorless, odorless mist surrounded the three of us. Finally, with our powers at hand and the plan in mind, we made our way through the throng of people.

None of them even gave us a passing glance. I whispered to Caiden, "How are you doing this? I thought you could only make yourself invisible."

"We're not really invisible. The only reason they can't see us is because I'm making sure they won't. The same goes for hearing. If they heard us, they'd be made to believe that it was only an illusion. Touch is different."

I understood and we quickened our pace, moving through the crowd with more of a purposeful stride. As we left the sea of zombies behind and ventured deeper into the maze, I could feel them. At least three mages were ahead of us, each of them dangerous in their own way. One of them held the mind control magic from earlier. The other two were unique. I relayed the info to the others and we nodded.

Abilaster picked up the pace. "Let's get this done."

Entering the final cavern, two men walked up to meet us. My eyes narrowed as they nodded towards each other. Finally, the man on the right said, "If you know what is good for you, you'll let me take over your minds without too much of a fuss."

I bristled. "If you know what's good for you, you'll release all of the people you've captured before I beat you to a pulp." Wasn't sure how I was going to back up that threat but I'd think of something.

The man on the right chuckled. He waved to the other man. "Pavilion, end them."

The man on the left jumped into action, firing a blue flame at us. Dodging to the side, I watched as the flame hit the spot where we had once been and froze the area. Blue flames = ice.

Abilaster raised his arms. "Frequency Shield!" The air around Pavilion began to vibrate and though he tried to use his powers, they weren't working. Abilaster smirked. "Frequency Shield allows me to stop someone from using their own abilities but while I'm using it, I can't do anything else. I'm practically vulnerable."

Caiden appeared behind Abilaster with a stick he had picked up somewhere. "Not exactly something I'd say out loud if you know what I mean." He held the stick firmly. "Who should I attack?"

I looked between our two opponents. "At this point, Mind wave guy over there seems more dangerous. But we won't be able to get to him as long as this Pavilion guy is in the way. So attack him."

The magic in the room grew slightly stronger. Probably their attempts at fighting back. Caiden stared over Abilaster's shoulder. "Attack him…" he echoes.

Too late… I realized the animosity in his voice. Wham! The brute force of the stick hitting Abilaster upside the head caused him to drop down, unconscious once more. I jumped back to avoid the next swing Caiden sent my way. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pavilion throw another flame ball. Raising a hand, I said, "Contain!"

The fire reverted to Lacrima form and I placed it in my pocket as I worked out what to do. Caiden was hypnotized. Abilaster was down. And I had three mages I needed to deal with. I already knew that the Counter magic in my body was the only thing keeping me safe from his attack. But, as long as Caiden was under his control, I wouldn't be able to beat him. Pavilion fired flame after flame while Caiden faded out of view. Switching between my two most prominent powers, I contained as many as I could and countered the rest, knowing it wouldn't do much damage. Plus, I was hoping that if I countered it enough times, Caiden would get hit and be frozen solid. Maybe that's not something I should wish on a friend but if it helps my chances…

My mind alerted me to Caiden's strike and I moved to dodge it. Pavilion came up from behind and proceeded to nail me in the gut. Crying out, I tried to get away, only to have him grab my hair and pull me back. Caiden reappeared and the two of them took turns punching the crap out of me. Every punch unlocked a new portion of pain I had never known. Finally, Pavilion threw me to the side and I crumpled to the ground.

As they converged on my bruised form, I tried to figure a way out of this. Battered or not, I'd been in tougher scraps. If I gave up now, I'd never forgive myself and neither would my friends.

"Melody Flux!" The world became hazy as the ground began to vibrate. I heard this pleasant melody, and euphony of instruments playing in perfect harmony. The others weren't faring well. Pavilion was covering his ears, a demonic wail escaping him and Caiden was curled in a ball on the floor, trying to outlast the magic. I turned to the fallen Sound Mage. Abilaster was on his hands and knees, forcing himself to stand. I pushed myself to stand as well.

My mind was racing a mile a minute. As long as Mr. Mind Control over there was still functioning, he could turn all my friends against me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the newly converted Lacrima crystals. I remembered Erza's words, how she had said my technique needed work and if I could somehow crack the Lacrima on my own, I could use it. But how? Counter couldn't attack and Contain was only good for defense. They were opposites but yet they still functioned just about the same. I gasped. Hold on… they were _opposites_. So that meant if Contain could seal power away… I looked to Mr. Mind Control.

As if reading my thoughts, he turned to Abilaster and prepared to take over his mind. I couldn't waste any more time. If Contain seals power away… "Then Counter releases it," I said out loud. Forming a fist around the Lacrima, I spoke the incantation. "Counter!" Cracks formed in the Lacrima's usually flawless form and I had to remind myself to throw it. As it made its downward descent, the power came forth, throwing the Mind mage off balance and breaking the connection between him and Abilaster. Abilaster blinked once, twice before getting up and making his way towards us. Caiden had recovered from the sound attack and was also getting up. As we converged, he asked, "Uh, can someone explain what just happened?"

"I would but we don't have time. Caiden, do everything you can to stop Pavilion." I commanded, as I watched the mind mage's retreating figure. "Abilaster, do you have what it takes to help me end this?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Abilaster only nodded. Caiden turned back to his opponent. "Be safe, you two." He disappeared and as we ran after our target, I could hear the fading sounds of a grown man being hopelessly outgunned by a fifteen year old boy.

* * *

Descending further into the caves, we found ourselves in a huge cavern. Lacrima of all shapes, sizes, and colors lined the walls and the glow of each cast a beautiful aura over the chamber. Coming to a stop in the middle of the cave, I had turned to ask where he went but was shushed into silence.

Abilaster raised a hand up and concentrated hard. There was a catch in his breath before I heard a small ringing sound emanating from his palm. Out of the darkness, there was a cry of pain. We rushed towards it to find the man on his knees in the dirt, his hands trying to cover his ears. His eyes searched mine and I could feel his magic prodding my mind, trying to find a way in. When he realized I was impenetrable, he focused on Abilaster.

Abilaster's eyes glazed over, becoming glassy and at once, he stopped his attack, his expression that of a wooden doll. With an unspoken command, Abilaster moved forward towards the man. Pulling out another Lacrima, I tried for another attack.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man said, his smile becoming horrendous. I was so over him right now. I was just about to let it fly when I noticed something I hadn't before. Abilaster wasn't attacking me. He was protecting _him_. It was then that I figured out the command he was given. "You monster! You're using Abilaster as a human shield." My anger had raised a few notches. "People are not yours to use!"

He laughed once, twice before further ticking me off by saying, "What else does one do with _tools_? Abilaster, Sound Force!"

Abilaster obeyed without question, shooting me with his sound attack. I tried countering it but it seemed I was only slowing it down. He hit me with another spell, one even I was unprepared for.

"Abilaster, snap out of it! Don't let him control you!" I shouted.

Abilaster was unresponsive, as he raised his hands to attack me another time. Fumbling, I pulled out my final Lacrima and made a petty threat. "If you don't let him go, I'll use this Lacrima to freeze you. You'll go to jail!"

Apparently, he thought that this was the funniest thing that he had heard so far. He raised his hand and Abilaster stopped his attack. The man was adamant. "Would you really? I don't think you would."

My hand began to tremble slightly and I knew that he noticed. "You have no idea how to play this game. Despite what you believe about yourself, you're a failure. You learned a power that is meant to protect others but so far you've only been able to protect yourself. It has no decent attack power and is utterly useless in all scenarios. "

I grit my teeth. Playtime's over. With a well aimed throw, I threw the activated Lacrima into the area where the two stood. Cracking at their feet, it emitted a shrill wailing that caught the man by surprise. In an instant, he was on the ground, clutching his ears, trying to make sense of everything. Meanwhile, I laughed from the sidelines of the spell. "Would you look at that? He's a tiger with no fangs. All bark and no bite."

I remembered what Erza had told me earlier. Quoting from memory, I said, "Weakness number 1: I carry more power than I can imagine and I need to learn how to use it to my advantage. Counter magic can be used as an attack but only when I truly learn how to use my own abilities to my advantage. Both my magical abilities, physical abilities, and mental abilities."

Abilaster came from out of hypnosis and flashed me a smile. I nodded and continued my monologue. "Weakness number 2: If I can't use my power to attack, then I've already lost. By utilizing this new technique, I've created my own attack. One I'm sure you're familiar with firsthand."

The man was almost screaming in pain now. He squirmed on the ground, trying to get some semblance of the situation. But, we would have none of that. I glared at the figure on the ground. "Weakness number 3: Counter magic can only send another's power right back at them. I used a Sound Lacrima to attack you and unfortunately for you, a Sound Lacrima won't harm a Sound Mage. Abilaster." At the sound of his name, Abilaster cast Frequency Shield, cutting off all of his and the man's power, leaving them both virtually defenseless.

Thinking that we made a mistake, the man hopped to his feet and stared at us with murderous intent. "Abilaster, destroy this wretch with your Sound magic! Make him rue the day he was born! Then kill yourself!" A smile was plastered on his face. He'd done this before and it had never failed once.

Abilaster refused to move an inch. But I, however, made a beeline towards him. Uneasily, the smile slipped off his face to be replaced with outright fear. "Sta-Stay away! You stay away from me!" He made a move to run but I grabbed the front of his shirt and held us face-to-face. Raising my right fist, I replied, "You said this was all just a game to you…" His eyes widened for a second before I punched him in the jaw. He went down and hit the floor, unconscious. I rubbed my knuckles. "Well, we've chosen to continue. Game! On!"

Soon, it was silent. I could feel Abilaster's gaze on the back of my neck so I turned to oblige him. Abilaster and I studied each other for a long moment. Gazing into my golden colored eyes, he seemed to be content with whatever it was he found there because he held out his hand and I shook it. We were of different guilds, used different magics, and didn't really like each other at all. Even still, we rose beyond our own expectations and achieved what should have been impossible. If anything, this mission was a success.

* * *

"C'mon, Emiren, it's not that big of a deal!" Caiden said, trying to be more upbeat than usual.

I was burning in anger. We had done it. Defeated the bad guys and saved the whole entire town. Once the Mind Mage had lost consciousness, everyone else had snapped out of their delusions and we were able to evacuate the caves. All should have been well, right?

Well, it would have been even better if the jerk who requested our services hadn't just cheated us out of our reward. Mr. Zen refused to let us see even a bit of the money he had promised us, instead saying that the destruction of the mines counted for millions of yen and if we didn't want a problem, we would leave town before the police showed up. By that point, I was ready to take him back to the mine and trap him there. Then, when he died of starvation, no one will be able to say I killed him. At least not directly.

Caiden had seen the evil glint in my eyes and had dragged me off, out of the manor and almost all the way to the train station. After not receiving the money for the job, Abilaster and Hana left for the Blue Pegasus guild. I had a feeling that, to him, this quest had never been about the money. The bastard probably had enough yen to last him weeks on end. Meanwhile, I had just been cheated out of my rent money. Money that would have lasted me over three months. What a waste.

"Um, excuse me; are you the ones who saved the town?" Caiden and I turned to say a young girl no older than ten peering at us with sea-green eyes. On her back was a large blue sack that seemed to be empty. Her face was slightly inquisitive as she regarded the both of us. Together, we nodded. Her look morphed into one of glee. "Good, I made it before you left. Well, it's nice to finally meet you. My name is Hori Zen. I'm sure you've heard of me from my father."

At the turn of conversation, I became quite sarcastic. "Oh, yeah, we know your father. He's a real keeper."

Caiden hit me upside the head and said, "Behave." Then, he turned to the girl and smiled nicely. "So, you're Hori Zen. It's nice to meet you too. Why did you chase us all the way here?"

Hori smiled sadly. "I'm here to give you your reward." She took the sack from off her shoulders and placed it at our feet. "I heard that my father tried to cheat you out of your earned money and I'd just like to say that I'm sorry. My father has always been… difficult."

I snorted at that word but stayed silent as she continued. "I don't expect you to forgive him for what he has done. But, maybe I can pay you for what you have done so there are no hard feelings."

I was slightly intrigued now. "Pay us how?"

She gestured to the bag at our feet. "This bag is a magic item that can store whatever you need within it. I've only ever used it to pack magic items inside. And there are just about a thousand items in there now. My reward to the two of you is your own magic item, free of charge."

Now I was interested. "My own magic item? How will I know which one to pick?"

The girl looked to me, a knowing look in her eyes. "You're so silly, you know that? You don't pick magic items. The…"

"The magic item chooses you, right?" Caiden was smiling beside himself as he kneeled next to the bag. "If you don't mind, Emiren, I'd like to go first. I assume that once I stick my hand into the bag, I'll have to wait five seconds before it chooses me, right?" He directed this question to Hori. She nodded.

He stuck his hand in the bag and a bright light glowed. For five seconds, he knelt, unmoving waiting for his item. After the sixth second, he smiled, replying, "So, that's it."

"What do you get?" I asked. He pulled his hand out of the bag and I looked to see… nothing. His hand was empty. And still he was smiling. Hori looked stressed. "Maybe you should try again."

"I appreciate the offer but to be honest, I already knew that the bag wouldn't match me with an item. Of that, I was certain. I just wanted to see if I could trust its magic. If I could trust that Emiren's magic wouldn't interfere with it."

Wait a sec. "Uh, my magic?" I questioned him.

"Yeah, obviously you deserve a reward for what you've done and I didn't want you going home empty handed. So…" He sat me down in front of the bag. "Put your hand in and see what happens!"

Rolling my eyes, I stuck my hand in the bag and tried to believe in whatever magic lay within. A light grew, filling me up and power coursed around my fingers. I could feel it, a tentative magic testing me, trying to figure me out. My hand closed over a bundle and I jolted back, pulling my hand free. What I found there was interesting to say the least. It was a pair of blue fingerless leather gloves. The ends were frayed slightly and the metal cuffs were golden. On the back, there was a diamond shaped indent that was emphasized by an X-shaped design surrounding it. Other than that, they seemed to be ordinary gloves.

But, apparently, Hori knew better. "Those are the Animus Gloves! I definitely wasn't expecting that!"

Caiden was confused. "Is there something special about them?"

Hori locked eyes with him. "According to my grandfather, they were made maybe two hundred years ago and they were part of a set. There were two pairs made and only two. One of the pairs is the one you see here. The other pair was lost to the ages."

"Lost to the ages? Weird." Caiden muttered. Hori shook her head. "Trust me; it gets weirder. The person who made them was… particular. In all of those two hundred years, it's only chosen two people. My grandfather was one. I was the other. And the thing that made it so weird was that anyone can use it. But, if it doesn't choose you, you can't unleash its true power."

"Nice history lesson, but what do they do?" I asked, turning them over in my hands. Palm-side there was a circular lens that covered the palm. Slipping the gloves on, I examined them in the light. They were pretty rad. Even if they happened to be no help at all, they would still make sweet accessories.

"Oh, they have many uses. The most practical use is its strength amplification. As long as you have it on, both your physical and magical strength increase. Plus, most everyone uses them to call on the powers of other magics. You can call on the magic of all four elements, light and darkness, gravity, you name it."

"Are you for real?" I couldn't quite believe that. "And you still want me to have them?"

"Of course, anyway, the gloves probably picked you because you're going on a journey and it wants to be along for the ride." Hori was ecstatic. "Maybe it thinks that you have what it takes to find the missing pair."

"Why do I need to? I already have this pair."

"Well, the legends say that if you were to bring the two pairs together, a miracle would take place and the explorer who did it would be granted great power."

Caiden smirked. "Well, you're already looking for your past. How hard can finding a pair of gloves be?"

I rolled my eyes in anger but my voice suggested otherwise. "Right, how hard?"

Hori's smile rolled off her face to be replaced with remorse. "The only problem is what it runs on."

"Runs on?"

"To keep using it, you need the crystallized form of magic. As in, the Lacrima. If you put it in that diamond shaped indentation on the back, you'll gain the ability to use that magic. But, unfortunately, you need to have Lacrima in abundance. And with the mine in… under construction," she said, choosing her words carefully, "there is no way to go get some. I'm starting to wonder why it would pick you."

She'd actually lost me back at _Lacrima_. Pulling a Lacrima from my pocket, I placed it into the indentation and watched as it shrunk, placing itself perfectly within the lines. The glove began to glow with blue fire. Experimentally, I shot a ray at the ground only to have the ray turn to ice once it hit.

"Sweet!" Caiden whispered, looking from the ground to me in awe. I tried not to be smug when I answered Hori back. It was a challenge. "I don't think collecting Lacrima will be a problem. If I may, I would say that I've got nothing but Lacrima."

Hori said her goodbyes at the train station and we waited as it took off, speeding our way back to Magnolia. Before we left, I stopped by a store to buy a small waist pouch to hold Lacrima in because I knew I was bound to use the gloves soon. I also bought myself a sketchbook, which Caiden questioned me about on the train.

"I get the pouch alright, but what's up with the sketchbook? I mean what do you need it for?"

I looked out at the landscape, passing us by. "I wasn't sure before but now…" I trailed off and tried again. "I started having dreams, seeing images. I think they're memories. Since I have a pretty good photographic memory, I decided to draw them out. Once I have them out in front of me, tracking down my past might not be so hard."

Caiden got this far away look in his eye. "I'm not saying that your past isn't important but if you dwell on it, you may not get far enough to see your future. It's the same thing with me really. I'd give anything to go back to the past. But it's that magic item that keeps me going. The search for it is what I live for. And until I find it, there's no chance of me not moving forward. It'll choose me and together, we'll become the best team in all of Fiore."

"You mean you'll become the best team if we don't do it first?" I said back to him, a silly grin on my face.

Caiden snapped out of his trance and he looked at me with mock anger. "Hmmm, a race against time to see who will become the best magic item user and my opponent happens to be an amnesiac with a pitiful power. Challenge accepted!"

"I'll hold you to it, you know," I shot back. "Once you find that item of yours, let's have a battle to determine it. You against me, the both of us. Rivals to the end." He smiled, nodded, and that was that. The challenge had begun.

But, for now, it was a time for celebration and the two of us were in good spirits. A promise made between pals can do that to you and for the moment, I didn't care what I'd lost in the past. I didn't care what the future would bring. All that mattered was here and now.

* * *

**?**

"Daughter, I trust you made it here okay? How did the recruitment process go?"

A girl of maybe sixteen years knelt at her father's feet. "Yes, Father, my trip was most pleasant. Unfortunately, complications arose and I was forced to abandon the plan. Kristoff and Pavilion held promise but they didn't meet my expectations. Cartel's Town is a lost cause. We're better off moving on," she said, her voice smooth and deadly, like a cobra waiting to strike. Pulling a map from her pouch, she checked the next town over. "Time to find the next recruits." Dusting off her dress, she made her way from the room.

"Daughter…"

She turned to see the man eyeing her expectantly. "I will be safe, Father. You need not worry about me. I can take care of myself." She strode from the room, her father muttering behind her. She only caught one word: _Minerva._

As she headed to her next destination, she thought back to what she had heard in the mine. _A tiger with no fangs; all bark and no bite._ Her eyes lit with vicious flames. _ Make no mistake,_ she thought, _it won't be long now and soon, Fairy Tail, the world will know who we are._ Stepping out into the cool nighttime air, she laughed knowing in her heart that what she said was true. As the darkness swallowed her up, only one thought came free.

**Sabertooth is rising.**

* * *

**A/N: Am I ominous or what? When I started writing this chapter, I had no idea I was going to end it this way. Heck, when I uploaded it, I nearly forgot to add this final scene in. But, now that I have, I'll reveal a secret. Depending on how good the story does on this site, I might create a sequel story of Emiren's adventures. These few adventures would take place during Tenroujima and the Grand Magic Games. Because i get bored easily, I might switch between trying to write the sequel before I finish the first story. That just means that I'm excited for the months to come.**

**Plus, I just hit 1,000 views which is a pretty big deal to me. Thanks you guys, I couldn't have done it without you. Now, let's shoot for 5,000 views! I'll get back to you when that happens.**

**Finally, I am regretful to inform you that due to family matters, I will be scarce for next week. But, don't worry, that just means that when I get back to writing, I'll have more updates and I'll be ahead of schedule as far as updating stories goes. Please review, follow, or favorite (or if you want to be a rebel, do all three). I'd love to hear from you! So, until next time!**

**ArthurDragonpen, signing off!**


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